Monday List #20-The Internet

When Facebook and Twitter went mainstream the ability to connect became endless and as a social media user and a blogger the Internet became a neighborhood. Years ago when I first started blogging the community was smaller than it is now. As I've connected with other bloggers through shared friends, interests or profession my life has been changed. Sure that sounds like a broad sentimental statement but it's true. So for today's Monday list, 5 ways the www has impacted my life.

1. Reconnecting through Facebook. It's simple. Long lost childhood friends, high school friends, former colleagues. I've found them, they've found me. When I receive a friend request and it's from someone I've often wondered about, or from someone I once loved, it's like the past calling. It's amazing to share memories and to make new ones.
2. Health. Need a recipe, Google it. Want to watch a yoga video from home, YouTube it. Answers at your finger tips. Support when you need it. Inspiration all over the place.
3. Music. The Internet is full of music and as I listen to Pandora at work, I'm often reminded that there is more than pop radio and movie soundtracks. Do you remember records? I do and recently I've bought a few wonderful albums long forgotten. And after I buy a new record or create a new Pandora station I Wikipedia the artist and learn even more.
4. Words. Google books. Online zines. Blogs. Poetry. Classics. Travel. The sheer volume of what I read on a daily basis is amazing. There is so much wonderful literature, memoirs, inspirational stories, news. Good and bad, words are still the most powerful thing in life.
5. Blogs. Where to start...over the years I've connected with some amazing people through blogging. Some I've met in real life. Some I've only communicated with via email. I've attended their events, read their books, laughed over photos. And I've cried at a funeral...Shannon lost her fight against breast cancer at 29 in 2010. Alice is changing lives through bone marrow registry at only 15 years old. And Kristian...the world knows your story, I wish it had a happy ending and that love could save you. I'm thankful you shared your lives on the www.