The changing face of friendship

I don't make friends very easily. With new people I am shy and reserved - they only see the mask I permit them to see. It takes a long time before someone is let in and there are only a very few that truly know the real me.

I'm not sure why I erect barriers. I know we all have different masks to a greater or lesser extent - a work mask, a social mask, etc. Strangely, using a media that some see as being a barrier to "proper" communication can be easier. The internet is another mask but (and I think this is in some respects because it is such a complete and secure mask) it is easier for me to remove it.

I have developed some good friendships with people both near and far. Some I have met in real life, others I have not. They encompass a wide range of people that I would never have ordinarily met - through a wedding forum and an online game, for example. These friendships are developed and maintained through e-mail and online banter. In a short space of time (for me) these e-quaintances have become people I care about.

In another way, blogging is a removal of the mask, the chance to let a bit of the real me out into the light.

Feeling introspective today.

Thoughtful Journeys.