A 'Real Life' Friend Request

Remember a time when we didn’t know everything about each other and actually had to communicate with one another in the real world?

Me neither.

Social media is awesome to stay up-to-date on what is going on with friends and catching up on the hottest news (*cough* *cough* “Like” Amherst and Milford on Facebook *cough*) Sorry. I must have a cold or something.

We can simply log onto a website like Facebook and be presented with a feeding trough of information that we are free to share or “like” at our leisure. “Friends” can be made so they can see exactly what we are doing at all times of the day, and vice versa.

This is all fine and dandy for most people, but I want to bring something a little bit different to the table. 

As many of you are aware we launched Milford Patch yesterday as a bright shining light shone over the area and a beautiful chorus of angels began to sing. The animals joined in as fireworks exploded in the sky (That is actually what happened, and don’t let the “mainstream media” tell you any different.)

Like with Amherst Patch, I love being able to share Patch news and local information on Facebook and am excited to create an similar online community for Milford. I also want to bring people together in a less “Facebooky” way as well.

So, I am sending out a “Real Life” Friend Request to everybody in the communities I cover for Patch, and beyond.

What does that mean? It means that the value of the friendship goes well beyond a couple clicks and the ever-popular “like” button. My goal is to get to know each and every one of you beyond a profile picture. I hope to get to know all of you through interviews and plenty of interesting conversation.

It may make me sound like a softie, but I like to consider most everyone I meet as a friend on some level. To me, a stranger is just a friend waiting to happen, and any potential enemies are just people who need to understand each other.

The best part of being in the news business is meeting a variety of interesting people on a day-to-day basis, and I still have so many people to go. Growing up in New Hampshire has given me a love for the small community, and the people who live in them.

We are all in this together. No matter what happens around us, we are still one people with similar needs, challenges and dreams. Now that everybody is connected digitally, it is the time to bring those connections to the outside world.

I look forward to meeting more of you in the future and sharing in this crazy thing we call Life.

-Robert

p.s. did I mention to still "Like" Amherst and Milford Patch on Facebook? Each one improves my self-esteem, and may in fact save an animal species from extinction.