Blue Pill... Red Pill...

It's the age of social media. Between Twitter, Facebook, Blogging and more... there are increasing ways for us to connect to each other over these here interwebs. 

The thing with these darn interwebs, is that people are not always who they seem. Not that said people necessarily deliberately set out to deceive. But let's face it, you see what people are feel like showing. 

What's with the cryptic comments you ask? Cos you know there's gotta be a story here somewhere...

Ok imagine this.

I tweet and connect with someone - let's say Tweeter A - and it turns out we have a mutual friend.

Well, not so much "turns out". I know Tweeter A in real life, but I tweet anonymously and they don't. They go by their name, profile pic is an actual pic... etc. We don't know each other well at all, but we have crossed paths because of a mutual friend - Nameless. 

Actually, less of a mutual "friend", and more of a mutual "person we know, but I steer clear of". 

Anyway, so Tweeter A has no idea that the one of two times we've responded to each other in group conversations that they're responding to me. 

I always figured that the next time we met up face to face, that I would introduce myself as my Twitter-alterego, and we'd have a small chuckle about it.

Tweeter A is genuinely funny and caring, and it shows on Twitter. They enquire about everyone, follow up on birthdays, illness, special occasions. A really sunshiney person that you look forward to "seeing".

And yet... they're a really good friend of said "person we know, but I steer clear of" (aka Nameless) and I've often wondered how that works. Is it that opposites attract? Or is it that Tweeter A is just so overwhelming kind and loyal that they look past Nameless' arrogance and immaturity?

I may have gotten my answer yesterday...

I was at a friend's house and both Nameless and Tweeter A were there. I walked in, said hello to everyone and turned around to talk to my friend. Noticed that Tweeter A didn't turn around or acknowledge me, but thought perhaps the television show was engrossing at the time.

 So a few minutes later I walked back in and hailed out the person by name. No response.

Puzzled, I left the room and re-joined the chat going on in the kitchen, thinking this time "well that's odd".

My husband abruptly decided we needed to leave and I went back into the room to say goodbye to everyone, and this time said goodbye to everyone by name. Including Tweeter A.

No response, yet again. But goodbyes from the others in the room. Including Nameless.

No doubt any more.

Even if you didn't hear someone say goodbye, farewells from others usually prompt you to look over your shoulder and smile, wave, acknowledge somehow.

I almost pulled out my phone to tweet them goodbye as a joke, but thought better of it.

Don't worry Tweeter A. Your alter-ego secret is safe with me.