Tuesday, May 15

The Human Element

The lowcarb internet world is amazing.

You know, I've been on the internet since 1993, pretty much full time plus, not counting that from 1995 till present my job (on TOP of my other time on it) has been internet based. I am as world-weary street-wise a net punk as they come. I can hang in playgrounds that would send most people screaming into the night. Nothing phases me at this point; nothing shocks me.

But the lowcarb internet world has surprised the hell outta me.

I swear, I have never -- NEVER, in all these years -- encountered a community of people who were, across the board, so GOOD to others, so encouraging, so sharing.

I've been in projects that I personally paid thousands and worked years to support and had maybe 12 people out of thousands even bother to be kind let alone say thanks. And yet, in the lowcarb world, the minor effort of my journal and this blog and whatever I might post on lowcarber.org has brought more kind, positive, personal response from people, via email or my lowcarber.org journal or this blog, than I have seen in any other field online in 14 years combined.

People I would have zero in common with outside of "food choice" have shown me more kindness and humanity than plenty of 'online buddies' I've known for a decade. I don't mean my buddies are bad to me! I just mean that people in lowcarb are often exceptional. They go above and beyond. I feel like I have met more people worth making friends, "real friends," thanks to lowcarb than any other source of people.

Despite the debates and social politics on the forums, still you find huge numbers of people being warm and compassionate and supportive on the journals than I've ever seen in one place before. I've seen support forums. Even for food. But lowcarb seems different. Could it be that unlike other eating plans, lowcarbers may have existing issues with food or emotions or life, but they are not starving and miserable at least, like most lowfat lowcalorie plans? I don't know what it is. I just marvel at it regularly.

My email address is thedivinelowcarb at gmail dot com by the way. I just realized today that I didn't have it anywhere on this blog. I guess that would explain why I get so many messages through my lowcarber.org account even though it's about this blog.

I've gotten half a dozen private messages and several on my LC journal, in response to my 'Hideous Truth' post. Several of the private messages told me some of their own stories. It's really amazing what deeply wounding, mortifying things people have to suffer when seriously obese, and the amount of sheer grim determination to get through it they have. I am starting to think that really overweight people may be some of the strongest people around. I think if you plucked the average thin person off the street and gave them the kind of issues the severely obese have, they'd go postal, or show up in ER within a day.

That lowcarb not only seems to congregate so many good people, but seems to be an avenue for genuinely improving (and even saving) their lives, is truly inspiring.

PJ
.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's all that fat in our diets, it improves brain function. Think about it, ever met a mellow vegan?

Vegan.Bohemian said...

Hi PJ!!!
You're so right. Everyone I have met has been so helpful and nice. Thank you so much for all the help, and sweet words in my blog. I was just talking to myself over there...lol. Now I'm not anymore :)
I'm glad I met you!!!
Niki~

Tracy said...

So true. My lowcarb online friends don't complain when I talk about my poop. THAT means something to me.

I wonder if it's partly bc we all feel somewhat duped by former diet info, and now we've banded together as a mighty force and that makes us feel bonded? Could just be me.

Amy Dungan said...

I've found the same to be true in my experience as well. When I was doing low-fat/low-calorie diets, people would give you a little cheer when you lost weight. But they didn't want to listen to your concerns or frustrations. I don't think most of them really cared that much. They were there for help themselves, but didn't really want to offer much to anyone else. The low-carb community has been so different. Almost everyone has dealt with the frustrations/fears and knows how much it helps just to have someone there for you.