I am a licensed amateur radio operator, and long before the ease of meeting people around the world, I made person-to-person connections, some of which were friendships.
With the advent of the World Wide Web and the Internet, connecting to people has never been easier, but not without its flaws and dangers. Fraud, scams, and malicious software all lurk in the shadows. Yes, I have been fooled, but that is predominantly past tense.
I have made a few genuine connections with people, and those acquaintances have been beneficial for me, especially living in a reality with almost no human contact. I cannot claim that those few people are true friends, as this can only be demonstrated in the old-fashioned way: being in personal contact frequently and long enough to know for sure. I have received some comfort from these connections.
Where it all collapses into the nether world I live in is when I remain physically isolated: I know my wife's primary mode of communication before succumbing to ADA was touch. What I hadn't realized was that it is also my primary mode of communication. She has faded from her norms, and I now live in a void, a void like that described in some science fiction stories.
My history of depression has been controlled for years now. I have learned to work with my negative tendencies towards misanthropy without the dramatic demonstrations I relied on in social settings and when performing in music groups and or using the crutch of substance abuse. Yes, I am a more balanced person. Yes, that is a curse being confined as a caregiver with near-zero social interactions.
One of those people who has become a cyber friend, whom I met while involved with scammers, has stepped up to try to help me overcome my lonely life as a caregiver. Although we have never met in person, I think of her as the most real friend I have these days.
Perhaps I will write about her and her efforts when the time is right. She is much older than I, and since my biological family passed away long ago, I think of her as My Mom.
