I think I might be a chatty person.
It’s kind of awkward to say that because I usually like to proclaim that I “don’t like people.” What I generally mean by that is that I don’t like most people. Once I feel like I’ve gotten to know you or I feel comfortable around you, all bets are off. I’ll probably talk your ear off about any topic that pops into my brain. In fact, earlier tonight I did my very first “Just Chatting” stream on my Twitch channel, which involved absolutely zero gameplay and was just a two-hour session of me live, on-camera, talking to folks in the chat about whatever topics came up. And here’s the thing: It was actually kinda fun! Now as I sit here writing this, just past 3am, I find myself wanting to chat more but everyone I know is asleep.
I really like bringing people together and have, in the past, added forums and social media-type elements to my blog that allow people to sign up and chat and connect with each other. I don’t find that necessary to do with this particular site since most people leave their comments about my blog posts here on Facebook or Twitter anyway, both of which have the social media game all tied up already. But also I think, “Wouldn’t it be fun to have a place that’s just for us?” The tiny audience that reads this and maybe pays attention to my other content on Twitch or elsewhere could have our own little community. Then I remember that I already have a Discord server too, which is supposed to serve that exact purpose. Is there any harm in creating additional spaces though? Other than that they might just go unused? Is there any type of space on this here interwebz that you might like to see beyond a simple Discord server and a blog post comment section?
I’m probably getting too into the weeds about what kind of spaces are necessary to connect. The tools we have already do their job. Sometimes they even overstep, so maybe we should be dialing back the social spaces we have instead of creating new ones. But being in a new location, it’s also hard for me to go out and socialize since I don’t know hardly anyone, so I guess I feel a little like my need to chat isn’t completely being fulfilled. It’s a little sad as well because I’ve been watching old episodes of Felicity on Hulu lately and so much of the titular character’s need to stay in one place after a cross-country move is due to the new people she’d met in her new setting. Granted, she was also going to an enormous university at the time so meeting and interacting with new people was inevitable for her, but still — I don’t have that and maybe it’s something that I need.
Speaking of things that I need from Felicity, the title sequence featuring the black-and-white photography of the cast is absolutely gorgeous. Did anyone else ever want candids of themselves and their friends taken like that? Just me?
In any case, if you feel like chatting, seriously feel free to hit me up. I’m on every major platform that I can even think of so shoot me a DM if you’re feeling chatty.
Until next time…