I'm at a loss to figure out what's taken me so long to write this entry. Me...amidalooine of the endless sappiness and word vomit. Lord knows I've talked about many of my IRL meetings and have mentioned my dear, true blogosphere friends several times. It's a subject I enjoy....people...relationships...you know, feelings. I've learned a lot about myself in the years I've been a member of this community, and in my typically destiny-loving way, I know that there is a reason why those I've met here have come into my life, and I am forever grateful.

So what's taken me so long to mention Sarlacc-Pitt? Consider this entry to be my long-winded comment to his thought-provoking blog entry that asks who knows about our Star Wars blogging ways.

I am fortunate enough to be one of the three people whom Pitt has met IRL. Way back when on my dear friend's, jkelly's (he loves to see his name in print, I'm always happy to indulge him, and it was his birthday very recently) blog comments, then-new blogger, Pitt, mentioned that he's from the same city that I am. I noticed. At first, I was completely freaked out at the thought of this blogger living so close to me. Though I have made some amazing, "forever" friends here, a few of whom live not too terribly far (thank the maker!), Pitt lives, literally, just blocks from one of my daughters.

My husband doesn't refer to me as "the mayor" for nothing, I suppose, so in what is (I hope) lovingly referred to as my "running-for-office" way, I emailed Pitt. It was the start of what has become a great friendship. Recently, Pitt and I talked about some of the things he mentions in his blog entry...the ebb and flow of blog inspiration and who knows about our blogging and why.

Though I made a huge, big deal about my blogging and entry into Hyperspace when it first happened, I find that I don't willingly share a lot of what I write with my IRL family and friends or other non-SW online friends. They know about it. I've told them where I "am" and what I do, but as they expressed little interest, I found myself less interested in sharing with them at all. This just isn't their "thing" inasmuch as it definitely is mine. This place is mine. People know about it. I've told them. But I no longer need to make a fuss and share it with my friends and family because many of my friends and "family"...are here.

I've slowly realized that my blog inspiration is directly related to the development of my relationships with the people I've met here who have become integral parts of my life. When I started here I was an awestruck Star Wars fan trying to connect with fans who would simply share my love for the saga and help me figure out WHAT the hell just happened to Padme (that's for you, Oboe, jkthunder, and mirax!). I quickly felt the need to put a big piece of my heart out there and have found my niche here (much to some folks' dismay) as a somewhat deep, sometimes manic, wannabe writer with a penchant for all things emotional.

A funny thing happened on the way to my galaxy, though. I find myself somewhat more guarded these days as my relationships with the wonderful people I've met here develop beyond the outer rim of our blogosphere. I find myself less willing to take chances on sharing myself with the blogosphere at large, and more likely to simply take some time to cocoon with those I love and know understand me. The ironic and enlightening part is that many of those people..."live" here.

At lunch just the other day, something we squeeze in whenever time allows, Pitt and I discussed our community here and our own blogging tendencies. During the course of this conversation, he paid me the most wonderful compliment about my writing, words that I really took to heart. Words I really needed right at that moment. It is Pitt's nature to be kind and considerate, and I'm sure he had no idea what his words meant to me, yet I realized something about relationships in general that is relevant to this blogging community...and my need to get back into it with a little more frequency than I recently have.

It is in our perception of others and in others' perception of us that we sometimes find our inspiration to do many things in our lives. Whether we know someone casually, a witty acquaintance who makes us smile when we see her, or we know a person to be one of the rare individuals with whom we entrust our hearts, their impact on us can be exactly what we need at any given time. Others don't always know what's going on in our heads and hearts, but sometimes just by being themselves and saying what comes naturally, we are touched...and inspired.

Sometimes in finding a friend like Sarlacc-Pitt, we find inspiration.