Friendship in Spirit

Best friend sister Suzy and I at her youngest’s wedding.

In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.  ~ Albert Schweitzer

I have been on Twitter since 2009. I have been blogging for at least four years before that. I know because my Twitter handle is libbytalks and that was my original blogging name. That was before I got cumbersome and entangled in the reality and disclosure when becoming genuine online was the way to go, hence: Libby Baker Sweiger: me!

I have had bipolar disorder far longer. Since I was 23. I will be 65 in June. Yikes! It was many years until one day on Twitter, in a Social Media Group I had joined called #UsGuys, I wrote a blogpost called Libbytalks Has a Secret and disclosed my bipolar one diagnosis. That changed life online for me. Slowing and steadily, from that day in approximately 2012, I began to talk about my real life more and more. Now, for the second time, I have an online paper on #mental health: Mental Health/Living Above the Madness: Mental Health/Living Above The Madness.

Yet, my experience online was getting a bit dry. I didn’t really feel like I was connecting. I had friends on Facebook from high school and years on social media. But, I wasn’t really making new, deep friendships like I was when I first began on social medial.

Until, recently on Twitter, I heard from @dalereardon from @mydisabilitymatters. He invited me to join My Disability Matters Club of which he is the founder. It is a wonderful online meeting place geared to anyone with a disability of any kind. You’re invited to build a profile. From there you begin to share and meet other members, who become friends. They have a blog. You can join groups: New Members is a must! The Written Word and Art were for me right off the bat. The most freeing thing is speaking about living with a disability among those who understand your life first hand ~ they live the life, too. I have found the experience so far to be very helpful and enriching.

The site is very well constructed and user friendly. It has an intimate feel to it. The groups are open. You can control the privacy of your posts to public, members, friends, or you. The level of sharing is deep. The honesty level is high. It’s affirming, supportive and friendly. It’s a place to go and feel accepted, real and free from anxiety. Yes, I am loving it!

I would welcome anyone looking for a safe place to express yourself and learn and live in your own skin with friends also searching for a friendly place to be themselves ~ embrace your disability and check out My Disability Matters Club ~ rekindle your inner spirit!