Are online friends real?

I think it's a question we, as online people, get asked about or told about a lot.

This is my story of how I see online friends, told in a roundabout way, a rambling way, the way I am comfortable telling a tale.

I see the internet as my backyard, my monitor as my white picket fence. Steemit then becomes my newspaper.

When morning comes, I grab my coffee, go out to my backyard to read the newspaper.

First stop is the current event's to start my morning off right. There I get caught up on all that happened in my internet world as I slept. Reading all kinds of stories. Ones that make me laugh, others that might bring me to tears, the last ones needing my attention soon.

When I'm all caught up in current affairs, hopefully, enough caffeine has been consumed to get my brain working again for the day.

Thanking people for being so kind to me and reading things I have written is next on my list of things to do. They have taken time out of their busy day to leave me a note to brighten my day to which I am always grateful. Those notes are the priceless gifts of my day.

My journey next takes me to the pages of my friends. From there it's my turn to leave a note to brighten someone's day or give advice if I think it's needed. I don't worry about 'wanted' because no one really wants advice.

Advice is that weird thing, where you want to hear the answers to your untold questions, but you really, really don't. Advice means action needs to be taken, by you, and you alone. Most people, I included, really don't like change so shy away from asking for advice. Not that that stops me from giving advice left and right! Taking it is another matter.

All caught up within my internet world of friends, it's now time to see if any are online. If I'm lucky, I get to walk up to the white picket fence and chat about the things real life friends chat about but in type.

Now, this is where things get interesting with online friends.

You see most people watch what they say and how much they say when talking to someone face to face. It's the eye's of the flesh and blood person you have to look into, tell them your deepest dreams and thoughts that stops most people from expressing any of those ideas when asked 'how are you doing?'.

"Fine!", then becomes your answer.

You are not fine, most days. Do have a lot to say but looking into someone's eye's after they have had a long day, just wants a drink at the bar, fine is the answer most will give and get.

Now online friends are already relaxing, unless you are someone I know with way too many accounts to deal with, beverage next to them, comfy clothes already on, bra's a thing of the past.

Most are tired by the end of their day and just want to chill in their home but that doesn't mean they are dead. They like a good chat as much as anyone but want to do it in their jammies.

Then what happens, over the course of time, chatting with your online friends, you say more to them in private then you would to your real life friends. There is something about typing your feelings out that isn't as bad when a person's eyes are looking you in the face.

The day comes.

You realize the friend, you have never met in the flesh, talked to in type most days, knows more about you than any other real-life friend.

So to answer the new age question: are online friends real?