And......... already out of words....... hmmm.........
I have enjoyed this chance to read lots of blogs. The internet is quite the amazing thing, isn't it. A friend recently asked me what forums (related to Down Syndrome) did I like and which ones had I found helpful, especially when Nevin was little. I didn't really have an answer.... and in fact, chided myself and my tendency to "isolate". And then........ I realized........... the world wide web started in 1990! that was the year that Nevin was born. There was no internet support that I had access to. I knew of a few other families in our area with a child with Down syndrome....... but beyond that my world was much smaller than what the internet currently provides to people.
And it really wasn't until I started homeschooling Nevin, in 2001, that I actually joined any forums, and even then I was afraid to post, in fact, I signed up with an obviously cryptic user name, address, email, etc. because I was afraid some bad guys were gonna find me!? but I was immediately "booted" with a nice email stating that I wouldn't be allowed to join the forum without providing accurate information. And it seemed to be an email from a real live person, not just a robotic type "boot" from the forum. Soooo, I sent an apology email and explained that I had never provided that kind of personal information on the "web" before. She assured me it was safe and that they maintained security by not allowing obviously fictitious members to join. And so began my exposure to finding support from people around the world. It is still amazing to me how connected you can become with people you have never met.
And while the internet can be a venue for evil intentions/misuse........ it has proven to be invaluable in many ways. Allowing families who felt isolated to "connect" with other families in similar situations.
I still find the technology completely amazing............. and I am grateful for it.
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