Intro to Internet

“We have no troubles here…in here…Life is Beautiful!”

It wasn’t until I discovered that I could feed my passion for escapism via the Internet that I decided to become a regular user. I lived in New Jersey at the time, just outside of New York City, and was an ardent theatre patron. When the revival of the theatrical production of Cabaret opened, I was hooked. As my personal life was falling apart, I connected on a personal level with the idea of denial and escapism that was so prevalent in the psyche of the people in this play. I became obsessed with the performer that played the emcee of the show and discovered that there was an entire world dedicated to him on the Internet. Now I have to say that this type of “groupie” behavior was foreign to me, it sounds rather sophomoric in fact. However, I can’t tell you how fulfilled I began to feel as I joined up with listgroups and participated in chat rooms that were totally dedicated to Cabaret and the emcee. Those of us on the listserve referred to each other as “listsibs” and began to plan events and get-togethers in the city. I was on the Internet daily to view my listsibs posts, to look at pictures they had taken of “our” emcee and to find out what was new or upcoming so that I could plan it in my schedule. I felt like a patron of the Cabaret, that if I stayed entranced in this debauchery I would not recognize the evil that was brewing in my midst. As was the case with Nazi fascism, the trouble in my life became so paramount that it could no longer be ignored. I eventually had to move with my son to Utah leaving everything behind me.

This was a very dramatic beginning to my Internet usage. When I moved to Utah, I didn’t even have a computer, so I would go to Kinkos to use their computer and Internet almost daily. I felt very lost at first after I left the New York City metroplex and was trying desperately to still feel connected. I have to say that it was the Internet that saved me. I was able to keep in contact with my friends via e-mail, my listsibs via the listserve and participate in other virtual communities that were going through a situation that was similar to mine. This provided me with a support system, albeit virtual, that helped me to deal with the challenges that I was facing. Once I started to pull my life together, the Internet and the computer became even more an integral part of my existence. I started the process of applying for graduate school. I took the GMAT exam and used the computer to complete practice tests multiple times a week. I learned how to use excel and powerpoint, how to complete my banking on-line and sign up for communications about information in which I was interested. I began to see knowledge of the computer and related software as a benefit to myself in my personal and professional life. I took classes and worked to learn everything that I could about data management software, web development software, graphics software, and other relevant hardware.

I no longer feel the need to track a famous Broadway performer on the Internet. My time is spent doing research on the Internet and finding out new and exciting things related to instructional technology. I do, however, find myself tracking the movement of my ex-husband now and again in the news on the Internet. He has been served with a life sentence and will not have the opportunities that I now have learning in a new era of technology.