Meeting a Kindred Soul in a Fellow Slicer

I knew last week what my entry would be for today.  You see, last week I sent a message via Twitter to Amy Rudd (aruddteacher100) letting her know that I would be in her area and wondering if we could meet.  We quickly made plans to meet today for lunch at Mike's Place, a quirky restaurant in Kent, Ohio.  It was then that I decided I would be writing about our meeting for today's SOL.

Amy and I had not physically met before today, yet I felt like I've known her for years.  Last summer I wrote a SOL post about eating dinner at Carovillese Italian Club with my uncle.  It was a favorite if his and my aunt's.  Now that my aunt is gone, I like to go there with him for spaghetti and meatballs on Tuesday night if I'm in Akron.  Amy commented on that post, saying that she and her family went there often for spaghetti.  We started commenting on each other's blogs and following each other on Twitter.

As I was leaving my parents' house today, my dad asked me who I was meeting.  I told him it was a friend that I met on my blog and through Twitter, but we hadn't actually met before.  He looked at me a little strangely (like "What are you doing, going to lunch with someone you met on the Internet?")  I guess it might sound a little strange to someone in his generation.

Once we were seated, we chatted like we'd always known each other.  We talked about our kids, school, professional development, books, etc.  There was never a lull in the conversation as we volleyed topics back and forth.  I think we could have talked the whole afternoon if I didn't have to leave to take Annie shopping for an "interview outfit."

Today's lunch reminded me of the significance of the connections we make with others through our blogs and Twitter.  Our virtual communities are just as important as any other community we belong to.  I learn so much from others I am connected to through different online communities and am very thankful to everyone who is always willing to share their great thinking.

I want to thank Amy for being part of my learning community and Stacey and Ruth for providing this space to build those relationships.  To read other Slice of Life posts, please go to Two Writing Teachers and leave a comment.  Who knows, you might begin a new friendship.


You can read Amy's post to read about our lunch together today here.