Tenth Anniversary
On April 20, 1997, I went to Geocities Athens Chat for the first time. It was not the first chatroom of my early Net life, but it had a huge and immediate impact. On that very night, I met Melisa. Within a few days, I'd met several people who remain among my best friends, to this very day.
I haven't been to any chatroom for more than a couple of amused and bemused minutes in years. I'm very glad that I'm progressing in my RL life, but those halcyon days of Net youth (yuk yuk) had a major impact on all that's happened since then. I think virtual and material reality can be very complementary, once one learns enough of oneself to strike a practical balance.
That chatroom was a virtual analog of the Parthenon, and it remains in my mind an idealized temple on a hill, at the dawn of fresh mystery and inspiration. I hope someday to write fittingly of it. :) In some ways, it led me toward all of you.