Something I Got OffThe Internetby Carrie BHe came into my lifeunexpectedly. Sorta like a movie,you know, the kind that leavesyou with little tears about to fallfrom your eyes. A huge lump inyour throat, and inspiration. Adrive that makes you so sure youwill find love out there. (Wishfulthinking?)We met on the internet. I canalready hear the peanut gallery'ssnide remarks and deftly dealtblows to my intelligence, mymorals, my thoughts. After all, Imust be crazy, and he must be anaxe murderer right? I must bedesperate, after all, to fall in lovewith a man over the internet. No,none of the above. (Youpessimists just have to chalk thisone up to a loss!) He is the mostcaring, compassionate man Ihave ever met. And I can say thatwith all honesty, with all truthsfreely tossed into the lion's denfor approval.At first, I wasn't expecting it tohappen. Wasn't looking for it. ButI wasn't against it. I was open toit sub-consciously I suppose.Searching for that fairy talesomewhere, my internalthoughts caught up with the restof science and dove intotechnology as well. I had heardso much about it happening toreal life people like me, fromplaces in the world I had neverheard of, but it happened! I hadtalked to him on and off throughway of chat rooms for about ayear. In this year, I didn't get toknow him really. Except the factthat he seemed like a really niceguy. He intrigued me. Maybe itwas this portal into anotherrealm we were both opening up.Making it harder to not talk. It'sall you can do, just type out yourinner most thoughts, and delightin the very thought of making a'friend' online.We started talking, and I wantedto know more about him. I gotexcited when I saw his name inmy e-mail inbox. Even happier Iwas when replying to him. I waspouring myself out to thisstranger, and he wasresponding. Giving of himselfmore and more each time he hitSend, as was I.In this chat room, we had'mutual friends'. Other peoplethat regularly chatted and withwhom shared a bond with us.We knew each other's names,who had kids, each other's lovelives, or lack thereof, and whowas allergic to what. A kinshipwas born in this chat room, butall of that was irrelevant as Iasked this other chatter, "What'shis phone number?" I asked, hegave. I called him that night.Our phone conversation wasgreat. I was attractedimmediately by his voice. He wasfeeling the same way aboutmine. But there had to be more,right? There just has to be! I wasthirsting for more informationfrom him. I simply wanted toknow everything about this man.We had seen each other'spictures already, sent throughthe wonderful e-mail services.Our eyes glanced upon eachother's pictures and saw apromising something there. Weliked each other at this point.Promises to call each other weremade, and more e-mails weresent.Finally, we fell in love. Just likethat. Fell. Head over heels. And Ican say this, without hesitation,that I fall in love with this manmore and more every day. WhenI hear his voice, BAM, I fall in loveagain. When I look into his eyes,BAM, I'm in love again. Anythingthis man does equates to pure,sweetened love for me. Ofcourse, there's a loop hole. Isn'tthere always? We are longdistance. I represent the EastCoast, and he the West. Was itpossible, is it possible? Yes andyes. We talked endlessly aboutthis. Tip toed around the fact thatit would be hard, but took intothe account that it wouldn't beeasy. Pored over every obstaclethat would stand in our way, andwould eventually test us and ourstrength, had we gottentogether.We talked about our wants, ourneeds, our desires at this time.What we wanted from eachother, and how we could goabout it. We knew all we wantedwas to be together, but could wehandle it? Were we ready to takeon something so rough? Wehave. Overcoming the distance,the money issues, theconversation issues, well, ithasn't been easy. But we don'tthink any relationship is a bed ofroses. We take the good, and thebad, and we still love each other.Through this love we havegrown stronger. We have learnedfrom each other. We have takenour relationship beyond thelevels of just something we got'off the internet'.Meeting was like a dream. I wasabsolutely on pins and needles.Seeing him though, onlyreinstated my previous feelings Ihad felt for him, and made themthat much stronger. Love at firstsight? Oh, it happened alright.We have shared so many timestogether. His presence completesme. The lost piece to my puzzle.The one thing that I can holdonto in this world. The onerelationship I have ever felt lovefrom. He loves me. Plain andsimple. With my flaws and all. Hesees the good in me, and I cansee it in him. I have found mytrue connection. Without him, I'dsimply be searching forsomething that couldn't give mewhat he gives me. It would onlybe false, and I know this to be oftruth, because for once in my life,my heart feels what my headdoes, and their both in sync. I'mloving every minute of it.When you hear the proverbialwarnings of finding anythingreliable on the internet, scoffaway the remarks. It can happen,it has happened. When you hearthe woes of love tales gone sour,just know that love is alive. It isall around us, and it will find youwhen you least expect it. And inthe last place you would everthink of finding it.