MY VIRTUAL
FRIEND
By: "puffy_browneyes"
August 2002
Two AM.
I look at my wall clock, and realize I exceeded my time limit
again by two hours, hence an extra P120 expense. What the heck. I
enjoy talking to him anyway.
No, I am NOT in a romantic cyber-relationship with "pogi_pointer,"
somebody I now refer to as 
my virtual pal. We just happen to be buddies
in our own worlds, connecting through the Internet - the wonderful
"chat room".
I met pogi in some chat room. I was so heartbroken, with nobody to
talk to by phone, and bursting at the seams. Then I figured, why not
try talking to somebody I completely do not know, release all my feelings
and probably see what he or she has to say about my situation?
He was the first one who responded to my call for "HELP!"
in the chat room. I poured out everything to him, typing words frantically
as I recounted every detail of what happened to me and my ex-boyfriend.
He didn't ask for personal details like where I live, not even for
my real name, which was a relief since I did not feel like having
somebody try to cross-examine me or hit on me now, especially because
I needed to vent and just have somebody listen.
Pogi gave very little comments, but he was responsive. I very
much felt like I was talking to a counselor. He did not judge me for
things I said I did, something I truly appreciated. I wasn't exactly
proud of what I told him, so then I thought, if I said this to somebody
who knew me inside-out, I'd surely get a good whipping.
I turned-off my computer feeling much better, having let of steam
and also because I felt that it was not the last time I'll be talking
to him.
We talked again the next night, and the night after that, and more
nights after, despite tired and heavy eyes from work. It became a
daily routine, the nightly chat. We talked about our day, about the
things that bothered us, about people who mattered to us.
At least this time, I was not the only one having therapy, because
he also shared his deepest hurts and pains with me - his dad having
an affair and hurting his mom, his best pal betraying him and trying
to win over the girl of his dreams. I returned the favor he first
offered me. I listened and became his friend.
At this point I realized, I found a friend in him - and a good one
at that. I don't know what it was about this arrangement that made
me feel very comfortable talking - secrets, ideas and feelings just
came pouring out as soon as I saw "pogi" in the instant
message window - and the feeling was mutual.
Maybe it was because we knew we had the whole world between us (not
to mention the mystery we kept about our identity), and yet we ride
the same wavelength. Pogi may not be someone I constantly see, or
call on the phone, but he was someone I can sure talk to without having
to worry about submitting myself to criticism. I can plainly be me.
No concerns about physical appearances or first impressions.
It's been a year, but up to now I still don't know his real name,
neither does he know mine. We share the same sentiment about identities
remaining unimportant. And about keeping this relationship platonic.
We did think of meeting once or twice, though, but mutually decided
against it. It is better this way, with the thought that we have somebody
we can call a real friend, free of prejudice and judgments that come
with finding out who we really are -- where we come from, who our
friends are, even how much money we have.
Weird how this relationship lasted. I guess it only proves one thing
- friendship does not have to be defined by geography, social status,
age, or anything else about one's demographics. It simply needs two
souls that bond to keep it going.
Exactly what I found in the soul I know as pogi. We found TRUE
friends in each other in spite of our lack of physical presence and
interaction. Cyberspace is our presence, the world where we co-exist,
trying to help each other out in the journey called life.
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