Picking Up With An Old Friend
Posted: Thursday, August 04, 2011
by Brianna Popsickle
“Ya’ll don’t have any of this in the back room do you?” she asked, holding up the last bottle of Justin Bieber perfume.
I noticed her accent and asked where she was from. She was shopping in the boutique where I worked.
“Houston, Texas,” she replied.
I was about to say, Really? I know people in Houston, but stopped myself.
I’ve known Bruce and Jean Horst for just over two years. Between reading their articles on topics such as marriage and raising a family, as well as experiencing the honesty and integrity with which they do business, I feel I’ve come to know them pretty well. And yes, I think of them as friends.
SearchWarp has made me feel like I have friends in places all over the world. Places like Texas, New York, Korea, the UK, South Africa and more. I’ve met women I’d love to have a girls night out with (and would not be responsible for whatever trouble we got into). I’ve met women I would love nothing more than to chat with over a coffee or glass of wine, like we’ve been friends all our lives.
I’ve met men I admire and some who intrigue me. I’ve met others who make me laugh and some who (if I were single), could easily talk me into . . . dinner.
Although far from being a techie (anyone who knows me can attest to that), I’ve somehow been lucky enough to stumble upon this on-line community whose motto,A place where you belong, rings true for me.
But recently, due to other obligations, I’ve not been able to spend as much time on the site as I like. Not only did I miss writing, I missed reading articles of the writers I’ve come to know and love.
Have you ever reconnected with an old high school friend, or ran into someone you haven’t seen in years? Although their outward appearance may have changed, they hadn’t, and you were able to pick up right where you left off.
That’s the feeling I got recently when I returned to reading and writing on SearchWarp.
I signed in one day and immediately saw the words Join a Team Now! There were pictures of badges scattered everywhere and discussions about points. Everything had changed! The old familiar site I’d come to know and love was gone.
I’m not a fan of change and really wasn’t liking it. What if I wasn’t asked to join a team? How was I to earn points and what were they for? What the hell was a badge and why would I want one?
I ignored all of it and began reading and commenting on articles by some of my favourite authors as well as some new ones, I’d never read before. As I read and commented and started hearing back from them, it was as though I’d never left. It was like reconnecting with an old friend.
I’ve been back a while but don’t ask me how to earn points or what they’re for. Don’t ask me to choose a team; how could I possibly choose just one, and don’t ask me what the badges are for or how you get them (although I notice I have one or two).
Change is inevitable and although I can’t see myself ever choosing between teams, I will learn about points and I will read about badges. And yes, I will convert to SearchWarp Spaces, but only because I know any changes Bruce and Jean implement must be good for the site, and in turn, good for the writers too.
Like an old friend, the face of SearchWarp may be changing, but inside it remains the same.
For me, it’s still the place I belong.
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Top-level comments on this article: (5 total)High 5! High 5! High 5!
This means a lot to me, Brianna. My heart almost stopped when you told me that you couldn't use the new commenting system. I worked on it for so long and was so excited about how easy it was to use, but if it doesn't work for an A-grade writer like you, we would have to revert back to the old system. Ugh! I'm so glad you've been able to make it work now.
SearchWarp has been such a hodgepodge. I've added things here and there to experiment with over the years, and the end result is that it's confusing everyone. I believe that converting everything to Spaces will allow me to focus on the core features, and streamline the website so even new users can quickly learn the ropes.
It's always a wild ride. Jean and I feel very fortunate that you've chosen to ride along!All I thought was here I go again. Am I the only one having problems? :) Gregory saved me with Control F5. Now I'll probably try that no matter what the issue is. Seriously, the changes you've made are not difficult and are easy to adapt to. It's just sometimes when we see change we want to run away from it. Like I said Searchwarp is worth making the adjustments. Good luck Bruce and Jean. I hope it's smooth sailing from here on in! (Although one should always be prepared for bumps, and detours).
Thank you for writing this, Brianna. You said it all and I am learning to adapt to the new format that I think is good for us. I always feel grateful for coming to SW and the bunch of great guys and gals who share one thing : writing.
Something may change from time to time. If Bruce doesn't change, I won't.With technology changing as quickly as it does, especially on the web, we have to be able to adapt. It may take us some time, but luckily Bruce is a very patient guy. Nice to hear from you Hilda!
Brianna, you are one of the writers I look for when I log into SearchWarp. It is always good to see you here. I am not very tech savvy either, so when I can point and click I am a happy woman! You said it all!Right back at you Lorrie! I'm glad you enjoy reading what I have to say and appreciate your support.
Awww Brianna, I am sincerely touched! Changing SearchWarp was a really hard decision for us but we quite literally had to change it or watch it die. Thanks so much for being so supportive. We really want to make this as smooth as possible for everyone but recognize that we can't catch all the bugs or anticipate all the issues no matter how hard we try.
Oh, and I'm pretty sure we're technically friends! :) I checked!
"friend - a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard".
Yep. Definitely friends.
I think maybe we should start a "girls who may get into trouble" team!I could certainly come up with a few names for that team! Great idea Jean. :)
When I get a moment, I seek out your articles you've written because on SearchWarp, you are one of my favorites. I enjoy how you write, what you write and your subtle humor. Keep coming to SW to share. There's many of us that love you.Your comment made my day. Thank you so much. For me, SW is the place to be and I surely will continue to share my stories here. I'm anxious to get back to some reading and writing! Thanks again.
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