Over the last few days, some of us have become increasingly concerned about one of our friends, @greytfriend … a very sweet lady who always brings a ray of sunshine into OUR lives.
I myself had been more absent than present over the last couple of weeks, so I figured I was just missing out on her updates, and that I would catch up when we were both online one day soon. I am so glad that another of our friends, @MadGoatLady put out an all-call on @greytfriend, because I had no idea it had been over a week since her last update! I promised @MadGoatLady to call @greytfriend, then post an update in her timeline.
Now, for some people it is not unusual to disappear. We all get busy and disappear for a time being. We all have things that we have to do that take us away from our online lives longer than we realize. However, for this particular friend, it is very unusual. Not only was she not posting online, but then I realized she was not answering my text messages either!
Since @greytfriend has been very concerned about Baby S since Baby S was first diagnosed with cancer, and she has always made a point of texting whenever I send out updates, I was suddenly not only mildly concerned, but worried … bordering on fear.
I took it upon myself to put out another all-call on my own timeline, update in @MadGoatLady’s all-call to see if anyone had received an update, but ALSO post in @greytfriend’s last update, which had been 11 days ago!!
Then, I followed through on my promise to call (albeit a day later than intended, since Baby S took a mild turn for the worse and I was busy worrying over B & C and Baby S and the kids). I called her cell, I called her home phone. Then, I started doing a little digging to try and find her father’s phone number. Another of @greytfriend’s contacts happened to know which street her Dad lives on, so I was able to take the list I compiled of people with the same last name in the same city determine which of the numbers I had dug up was the correct one.
I called her father, who promptly assured me that she is fine, and not to worry … and that he would pass on my concerns to @greytfriend. All is well … for now. I still do not know why she has been out of contact so long, or why she’s not answering my texts at the very least. Her father had a telephone call he had to take immediately, and was anxious to end our call quickly (though he was rushed, he made a point of saying
“She’s fine, I’ll see her later. What’s your name? Ok, I’ll tell her you called!”) I hope to call her father back later to see if he’ll share any other information that I can pass on to you all.
So, the point of this whole diatribe?
I would like to implore anyone and everyone who considers ME a friend to please send me a private message on whichever social network we use … send a contact method (email, cell phone, home telephone) for yourself … and one for an emergency point of contact. That way, if you are gone, and it is long enough for people to stand up and take notice, I can quietly contact you or your EPOC and find out if you are okay. I will not publish any personal or private information to our social networking sites, but will share with them as much as you’re willing to let me share. That way, everyone knows if you are okay, and if you need love and support.
I promise if you share this information with me, I will lock it away in an “Emergency Contact List” file, and I will not add it to my phone for when I send regular text messages and updates. I will also not abuse it by sharing it in any way with anyone else. I will ONLY use it if you disappear and there is no explanation.
For those of you reading this who do NOT consider me a friend … I beg of you, please give someone who frequents the places you frequent a way to update your contacts if something goes wrong! We may only know each other online, and not everyone wants people nosing around in their personal lives … I understand! However, most of us build a pretty strong friendship with at least a few people online. And while you think it may not matter, or nothing will ever happen … it MIGHT. If it does, we want to know you’re okay … or that you need love and prayer. Or whatever!
For the record, several people who frequent both Plurk and Twitter have MY personal information, but I will make a point of giving a couple of you my BFF’s phone number too, so that you can contact her should I drop off the face of the earth and NOT respond to either a DM from Twitter or a regular text message.
xoxo
