I’ve been very lucky to have a handful of great diabetes daily members close to where I live. We’ve had a handful of very informal social visits over the past year or so, and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know more great people, with great stories, great lessons, and great wisdom. I walk away from each and every meeting with something new to think about, and I love it!
One of the more recent meetings we did something a little different. We had a couple of laptop computers, some wireless internet, and some remote PWD’s who wanted in on the fun. We quickly burned over an hour trying to iron out all of the technical kinks, but were able to get folks online and chatting. It was pretty dang cool.
What is neat about this is that it opens doors for many people who don’t have anyone nearby, or who face other challenges in getting out to meet other folks living with diabetes. I think it is a really neat way to tap into that “next level” of connection, and it adds a lot of value for us to visit with people facing the same things.
But there was something about it that caught me off guard. It seemed to drain the intimacy out of our meeting, and for some people that is exactly what they come for. Computers and technology can sometimes do that, and I’ve witnessed it in many different ways. I think I can understand both sides.
The hard thing for me is that I value BOTH aspects of this. Living with diabetes is so damn isolating that I can really appreciate the positive effect this new communication might offer. But I also see the other side of it, and very much value the intimacy and comfort that an in-person meeting brings.
Living with diabetes is already an exercise in balance. Everything in our lives is about balance. Who the heck would have thought that balance would budge into a social gathering?!
Why should we need to pick and choose? Can’t we have it both ways?
So many questions. I’d love to hear what you all think, and if you’ve ever experienced something like this, either diabetes related or otherwise.