Saturday, April 23, 2005

I met some J-landers today

OK, the original cast of "Inner and Outer Demons, the movie" met face to face today.  Maybe I should explain how this all started.

When I first started my journal in June, I often did searches for journals with interests common to mine.  For instance, I would go to AOL Journals and type in a word like horses.  That led me to one of my favorite Journals, Csandhollow's "My Day And Thoughts".

One day, wondering if there were people in my own area with journals, I seached J-land for "Kansas City".  The first one to come up was "Inner And Outer Demons".  I went there and discovered it was a brand new journal, with only a couple of entries.  "It's just some gay guy," I thought to myself, and went on to other things. 

But I returned to the journal.  This was a person radically different than me; in fact, I'm not sure we had anything in common.  But I kept going back.  He seemed very angry in many of his entries, but you could feel, somehow, that there was a real person with a heart there.  I began to leave comments, and one day got brave enough to e-mail him with a question or two.  For instance, I wanted to know how his parents handled his being gay.  He was very polite in the way he answered my questions.

Somewhere along the line, another person started leaving comments in Toonguy's journal:  another local person, Simwarford.  He seemed nice enough, and very intelligent.  After his leaving a few comments in Toonguy's journal, I e-mailed him and asked why he didn't have his own journal.  After all, he seemed to have plenty to say.  (Should I mention that Sim is gay too?)  He said he preferred to use Toonguy's journal as his own, and in the long run, it's worked out well.

One day it occurred to me that this whole situation could be the basis for a movie:  Right-wing, conservative Christian woman, age 60, starts having regular dialogues with two gay men.  Maybe something in the vein of "Driving Miss Daisy".  Perhaps a writer could fictionalize it and turn it into a thriller; or make it a tear-jerker with somebody dying at the end (the old woman?  one of the gay guys?). 

Later, a lady named Anne (Ksquester) joined the team, and then my daughter.  This, I felt, rounded out the cast of the movie, "Inner and Outer Demons".  

All my life I've pretty much stayed in my circle, and more or less tried to stick with people who believe like me.  A while back I decided it was time to step out of my comfort zone and meet someone I'd not ordinarily run into.  So we, the cast of an imaginary movie, planned a meeting.

Russ chose the place we'd meet.  It's the first bar I've been in in years.  In fact, even in the days when I drank lots of beer, I didn't go to bars.  But today I made an exception, and it was a great adventure.  We laughed, we hugged, we talked (well, Sim didn't have a lot to say, but the rest of us made up for him).  We all had an excellent BLT for lunch.

I'm learning that people can be interesting and fun, even if they have NOTHING in common with me.  I even forgive Russ for not liking John Ashcroft.  ROFL! 

Rachel and I both took pictures, but none of them turned out.  She ended up with one shot where you can actually tell who is who, and you'll find it on her latest entry.

My husband was relieved that Sim and Russ didn't try and "recruit" his wife; nor did they turn out to be axe murderers.

What an adventure today has been.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think we tried harder to recruit them than the other way around!  I had a blast, and I'm glad we did it.

Anonymous said...

What a joy it was to meet all of you too!   Anne

Anonymous said...

Looks like you had fun.  I think it's awesome to meet up with journal buddies.

Anonymous said...

Oh so glad you all had so much fun. I've always thought it is fun to be friends with people that are completely different from me and I have done that a lot in my life. Paula

Anonymous said...

Can you imagine the fun we would have had if you and Rachel had brought the husbands??!  LOL   I kid!  You were a pure delight, Mosie.....and a great hugger!

Russ

Anonymous said...

Mosie, you have a way of meeting your online friends whether it is from a 'room', a journal or a board.  And you say you are a loner..........I don't THINK so.  One of the best vacations I ever had was with you and for the internet I am grateful.

XXOO

Bnana

Anonymous said...

HUn you had already been recruited! You are all friends now!

Anonymous said...

LOL You are too funny...glad you got to meet some of the "locals". ;-)

Anonymous said...

glad you are meeting people in person.. It's a great experience... rather broadening, ain't it??
M

Anonymous said...

I was just over at Russ's Journal... ANd I'm about to go over to your daughters... It sounds like you all had a wonderful time! I've found over the years that some of my favorite people started out as people I wasn't sure I had anything in common with. In fact, one of my favorite people is a 72 year old lady (from Brazil <g>) that I met thru work... she now tells everyone I am her best friend... and, in the beginning, we had trouble even understanding each other :)
http://journals.aol.com/astaryth/AdventuresofanEclecticMind

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry I was so quiet! But that usually happens when I'm in a group of people in a somewhat unfamiliar place! That even includes people I've known all my life!
But I had a wonderful time; and so glad to meet you--to meet all of you! I hope we can do it again!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a great idea! I might have to do a little local searching myself. Glad it worked out OK. rich

Anonymous said...

I am so jealous!

Anonymous said...

I am jealous too...

Elizabeth

Anonymous said...

From one Loner to another: That Anne has a way of drawing you out, doesn't she?

LOL...I'm Andi, of the EastCoast JLanders.  I'm so glad ya'll got together, it sounds like it was a great time.

drop in anytime...and I'll be back.  Anne say you're good people, and that's good enough for me.  ;)

andi

Anonymous said...


That's SO funny about making the movie, sounds like you do have the makings from your adventure to the country bar today!

Anne sent me to say HI, and I do have an ulterior motive!

Like about 10,000 other bloggers, I started my wild and crazy journal today,
CEE GEE AT LARGE.  I hope you will come take a look.  My first is long, but the rest will be short and sweet.

I would love to have been there with you.  I'd LOVE to meet Anne!

http://journals.aol.com/Ccancu/CEEGEEATLARGE/

OLD ONE:  http://journals.aol.com/cyndygee/TheRealWorldofcyndygee/  ;-)