It's a small world after all.

Yeah, I know... silly phrase makes you imagine those scary Disney dolls all singing and dancing in their syrupy sweet robotic, Stepford Children sort of way... sorry. Erase that image from your mind please and bear with me here...

Let's hark back shall we? (wavy screen) To a time about 9 years or so ago. The internet still had that "new car" smell and the world was not as harsh back then. Those were the good old days when kids could run out and play on the information superhighway unharmed. Back when, yes there was always porn, but it wasn't on every world wide web street corner.
When surfers were innocent. Back then... it was different.
My computer geek friends were scattered in all regions going to Grad school and I was in El Paso and I was bored... really bored and lonely, trying to find my place in the world, and missing them. So they patiently taught me about the world of chatting. They taught me to LOL and to ROFL. They taught me BTW, BRB, and even WTF (mom, don't ask about that one) and it was there that we caught up with each other's lives. I loved chatting. It was my way of reaching a big hand out and giving my college friends a hug. It was my way, as the only girl of the group, to keep tabs on those boys. It was new, fun, and exciting. I loved it.
And then I got hooked! I was chatting all the time. I was chatting the day the bomb went off in Oklahoma. I got to hear first hand what happened there and what it looked like, from chatters who were there. Made me feel like I was there too, feeling the pain, experiencing the horror right along side them.
And boy did I play with my "handle", my user name... we all did. LT would be Calvin, or Spaceman Spiff, or one of the other Calvin and Hobbs characters and so I settled pretty well on Susiederk... for Susie Derkins of course... nemesis to Calvin. LT would bug me and I would just shake my head and think, what a strange kid that one is... so it fit.
I was Susiederk. It was settled.

Then one day, as we chatted, some mysterious person came into our little chat room. His "handle" was BT224... and he seemed kind of nice. He was funny! That was what attracted me to him. He was funny!
He and I had the same sense of humor and we got along great.
We talked every night, like clockwork. Poor thing, he was working a crazy shift at work and would get 3 or 4 hours sleep a night just because he wanted to talk to me instead of sleep. He was a crazy man.
We talked about everything under the sun. We got to know each other... better than any couple would if they were going to the movies or dinner on dates. We became best friends. And I knew, I really knew that I loved him. He was THE ONE.
And he still is.
Ahhh. the world of chat.

And once we got together in real life, we didn't really need chat. We tried chatting again later on, but it wasn't the same. The place and people weren't the same. It was a different place. Those times, they were a'changin'.
And we hadn't really gone back to chat much since then... till now.

Oh that RLP! He challenges us all the time doesn't he? He changes things on us all the time.
RLP now has a chat section. It is pretty fun. I do it every once in a while...
Who I am I kidding? I am hooked! So is BT although I am sure he would never admit it.
I don't know if it is because it reminds us of the "good old days" of chat or what, but it is great.
We were just talking a few minutes ago about how it feels like a little family in the room. Everyone belongs and everyone has something valuable to input... well MOST anyway. And I have made such great friends! I think fondly about people in that room and would consider them a friend. I hope they would think the same about me.

So, if you are thinking of joining the RLP chat, here are some hints to help you make the choice...

Things you need to know:
1. Don't consider in any way that it is all religion all the time. It is not. As a matter of fact, when some people are in there it is just chaos. Trashing the place out and stuff. It is nuts.
2. There is a crazy Jetson's game going on there. You may join if you wish but you may NOT use the following characters... dj, or elroy. Those are saved for the creators of the game.
3. Hugh cheats. He is a cheater who likes to make up his own rules. Deal with it. You will be happier for it.
4. rlp will show up every once in a while. When he does, always say, "look busy"... he likes it.
Also, don't expect that he will want to talk about religion. He is a real person too. He wants to make up crazy games and be silly just like us. He also doesn't ever stay very long. Deal with it.
5. Be prepared to meet famous people... and realize because they are famous, they like to make up their own rules to things... (see also #3) Appeals for autographs are accepted but not always granted.
6. Realize that the later it is, the crazier it gets in the chat room.
7. Know that there is no age limit to chatting. Some people chatting are kids. Watch your language please.
8. Understand that I am the one and only president of the Hugh fan club... THE saint of the HULA BOOLA... do not try to take my title. I will wrestle you to the ground. It won't be pretty.
9. Don't do it if you can't take the pressure. :) We mess with each other a lot in there. If you are thin skinned, stay home, sissy.
10. While David and JoKer are chatting, don’t even bring up the words church, religion, orthopraxy. You will get a big lecture on the history of the church thus far with charts and graphs and everything! Danger, Will Robinson. Avoid Avoid… unless you are into that thing.
So, now that you have the cool kid's inside scoop... go at your own risk.
Enjoy the ride!!!
:)