by FEMAELSTROM, HSM team writer

What state do you live in? Whatever state it is, did you hear that scream high above you that started at Los Angeles’ LAX airport and carried on over the whole of this nation as I flew to the east coast to meet in person the woman I met in Home?

Her name is MaeBell, and in mid August, I had the chance to fly to her part of the country and visit her.

We got to meet eye to eye, and it was amazing. I overcame the fear I have carried for decades of flying in order to see this woman. This of course is a statement of what I feel about her. While in the east, I got to meet two other people on my friends list: VladtheImpaler and Qtip. Meeting MaeBell led to meeting the other two, and the three of them showed me such hospitality and kindness that I see the trip as a total success. One I will do again.

Home is all about making friends that we can be with either virtually or in real life.

Those that know me know that Maebell is very special to me, and that we have walked through Home and our real lives for some time now thanks to our very own Burbie52 and her group, the Gray Gamers — which is where we met. This article, though, is not about how her and I met or how deep our feelings run for each other.

This article is about meeting people in Home, and what a special thing it is and can be.

It was something I didn’t think I would have ever have done when I first walked into the Central Plaza. It was something that I never had given thought to at all as my friends list grew and grew. When the time came that MaeBell and I decided to meet, it was all virgin territory for me and her.

There are so many things that run through the mind when meeting, and there is going to be a chorus of people that do not understand. There are cautions to consider, as we have all seen news shows that depict how people meet and bad things happen. The fact is though, that as with anything that we do in meeting people, there has to be a cautiousness walking in. MaeBell and I have known each other for a long time now, just about a year and a half, and we both hope to make it a lot longer, but that’s what it takes: knowing each other very well. It takes establishing a trust that transcends the virtual world, and a total comfort that allows one to visit with someone we have only known long distance.

There are things that are unexpected — mannerisms, habits, environments — and these are not bad. They certainly were not with MaeBell, but there has to be an expectation of real life compared to the virtual.

I certainly would not suggest this for anyone that is at all hesitant, or unsure of going — especially if, in all reality, you don’t know the person inviting you well enough to make you 100% comfortable and confident. But that is what makes it so special, is that for me — and the others that I know — that have met Home friends, we do know and care for these people that we meet in real life. It further puts a stamp on a person as being someone that we want to meet in person and get to know even further than our screen names and avatars. There is such a special sense of having made a connection with people enough to actually meet and get to see each other face to face.

That moment began when I was met at the baggage claim terminal with an ear to ear smile.

I have had other friends here on Home that have met and have had safe experiences, and walked away with the sense that (at very least) we get to meet people that we have come to know so very well and care for so very much.

When we find people here, it is always about making a connection. Finding someone that we can enjoy and share the virtual experience with that may lead to a real-life connection. When that connection is made and we grow closer and closer, it leads to a more intimate relationship and this one lead to me actually meeting MaeBell in person.

I really met these people…and that was cool.

This kind of closeness is a wonderful treat and fringe benefit here on Home. When we meet those that we come to share our daily life with and grow to see the compassion from and for, that is where the real value of Home becomes crystal clear.

My many thanks to MaeBell, VladtheImpaler and Qtip. They made me feel really welcome and were very hospitable, are living proof that if you meet the right people and use some practical caution and wisdom, meeting a Home friend or fiends, can actually be a great thing and very warm and friendly, thus furthering the entire Home experience.

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