What Would We Do Without the Internet?

I really love the Internet, and I am so grateful for it! I'm prompted to mention it tonight because of the amazing support group it provides. Aside from blogs and facebook, you can find support for just about any problem you might be having. Cat peeing on your bed? Lots of other people feel your pain. (This is not my current problem, thank goodness, but I have been there!) Dog won't stay out of the cat's food? Well, you might not find a solution, but it can be comforting to read about everyone else complaining about it. When Sunny had that little episode of HSP a few years ago, I mentioned it on my blog, and someone invited me to support groups for it. There I read horror stories that made me feel even more blessed that her episode was so short and has not recurred.

And if you have something quirky going on in your body (my reason tonight), you can hop on and type into a search engine for ideas. Can you get a definitive diagnosis? Probably not. Can you get scared by all the serious things it might be? Sure. ("I thought we agreed that you'd come to me before checking Starfleet Medical Database." Dr. Beverly Crusher to Lt. Reginald Barclay, Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Genesis.") In my case, it could be anything from a vitamin deficiency to something a lot more serious requiring years of treatment and surgery. It was just really comforting, though, to read all the other people on one of the ask-question pages that said, "Hey, this has been happening to me, too!" It's always nice to know we're not alone when we're in pain or confused.

On a happier note, I love shopping online (Christmas shopping and shipping in one stop!). I also enjoy searching for information just for the sake of learning. I can get seriously lost on Wikipedia, especially after reading historical fiction or watching a documentary. I don't have to take my kids to the library for research projects, either (at this age)--they do it all from my computer. I can research everything from windshields to spiders from my family room.

So hooray for the Internet! I know we all used to live without it, but its prevalence coincided so neatly with my own advent into adulthood that I do not know what life was like as an adult in that pre-Internet world. I'm so grateful I was born in this era!

Internet

How did people live without the Internet? I know how I lived without it as a kid, but the proliferation of the Internet coincided neatly with my entry into adulthood as a college student. I love the Internet!

For one thing, it helps me feel socially connected as a SAHM through blogging (mine and others) and facebook. It is also amazing for doing research! I can research everything from cribs and high chairs to which actors were in which movies from the comfort of my office chair. When doing price and product comparisons, it's easy to pause to help kids, and I don't have to haul 3, 4, or 5 kids to a store just to look at something. I recently went shopping with my mom for clothes, and browsing was such a weird experience for me. If I get to the store (other than the grocery store), I am on a mission! I almost always walk in, get what I need and leave as quickly as possible because I either have kids with me or feel like I need to get home to them as soon as I can.

This year I am particularly grateful because getting out to do holiday errands is very tricky with a brand new baby. First of all, we want to keep him away from germs as much as possible. In fact, the nurses at the pediatrician's office recommend keeping him away from public gatherings if at all possible until he is 4 months old! Second, finding time between feedings and the other kids' schedules is tough. Today, though, I finished shopping for one family on my list. Yay! It's even going to be shipped straight to them, saving me a trip to the post office.

I am so thankful for the Internet!