write.as/jonbeckett

This morning I have been dipping a toe into the Twitterverse. It's a strange word, isn't it – “Twitterverse”. The Twitter Universe. It really is a universe of sorts though – populated with subject driven worlds, related interests, and with no barriers between them. It's loud, it's cacophonous, it's fast moving, and it somehow seems to embody Norah Ephron's blogging mantra – that whatever you're saying is true for about as long as you're saying it.

Here's the thing about “dipping a toe” – before long I know I'll think “oh sod it”, hold my breath, and jump in – then find myself out of my depth, panic a bit, before realising that everything is fine. I'm fine. We're all fine. Everybody is fine. Deep breaths.

Except everybody isn't fine – certainly not in the twitterverse. Some people are really very angry indeed, and don't need much of an opportunity to tell whoever will listen exactly why they are angry. Thankfully there is a “block” button that switches them off mid-rant, never to be seen again.

I wish a block button existed in the real world.

I've been reading the tweets posted by those in the #writingcommunity – and it's been a revelation of sorts. While sitting on my own, tapping away on a keyboard in the dead of night, I often forget there's an entire world out there of others doing exactly the same. It's nice to have a window you can open to the passing torrent of happiness, sadness, anxiety, hope, laughter, and every other emotion – to find that the world is enormous, and that the invisible surrounding crowd face the same struggles, doubts, and challenges.

Anyway.

Enough pontification for the moment. I have an important mission to complete today – fussing, and feeding a good friend's dog while they are out for the day. My family always had dogs when I was young – I kind of miss it. We have cats, but they're not the same. The old saying about dogs having owners, and cats having staff is more accurate than most will admit.