Twitter Be Good

I've been twatting since late 2008.  Back then I used it only to plug the old Tree here, (no, the blog, get your head out of the gutter), which was brilliant since I didn't have any followers.  I didn't start twatting with gusto© until last summer.  I didn't know what was going to happen but I didn't have a whole lot to do, ya know having recently become unemployable a Juris Doctor.

When I mention my twittescapades to friends and the such they either chuckle or mock me.  I guess I can get that.  In a prior life I probably would have done the same.  I guess it's easy to assume these kids and their social networks and their friendbooks and twitspaces are for teenagers and loners.  In reality, it's very different.  OK, not that different, but shut up and let me blog.

I fully agree 95% of what comes across my timeline slash I type myself is absolute moronic dribble.  I know most of what I say is either terrible jokes, inane flirting with strangers, or something about Scotch and boobs.  Not exactly Leaves of Grass.

However, there is that occasional intelligible tweet that has meaning.  I've had conversations that have genuinely helped me.  Also, in tough times, like say during/preceding the bar exam, post bar panic attacks, terrible days, and Mets losses there is a ton of people ready and willing to throw some support your way.  This is nice even if it comes from people you've never met in real life.

Even betterer...sometimes you can make an actual real life connection with people.  It may be a new NYC drinking buddy (this week!), a bean-town sweetheart who has talked me off a ledge more than once, or a Chicagoan who is willing to have the very frank conversations I can't have with any local people...believe it or not, you can find real life friendships on this crazy thing.

Last week during the Oscars I saw someone complain on twitter about how everyone was live-tweeting the show.  Someone else informed them there was a simple solution...turn off the twitter.  The original tweeters response?  "What, and be alone!?"  This may seem pathetic to some...but I get it.  I hate being alone.  I fear it like nothing else.  This is probably not healthy...but while I work on that I have my twitter friends to keep me company, which is nice.  There is always somebody there.

There are practical considerations too.  I have had leads on jobs because of twitter.  I now have connections with people and lawyers in cities across the country.  If I need an idea of where to stay or drink myself silly go out for dinner in a dozen different cities, I can simply ask and I'll have an answer in a minute.  It's nice.  I can ask questions and get answers.  For God's sake, I got at least one question right on the barzam because of a lunch break twitter question asked and answered within seconds.

My friends and family can mock and chuckle all they want.  Twitter is really silly.  But I like my twitter family.  They have actually helped me. They make me laugh.

Plus it's a nice platform for me to pretend people care what I have to say.  I have a large ego.  It needs food.