This is a post about friendship. And about LOVE.
Social media is the afterthought. The ancillary thing. But without the power of social networking and the Internet, the following would not have happened so quickly.
On Sunday, I get a message from my friend Kathy in Anchorage. She asks if I’ve seen a blog post from our mutual friend Taughnee, also in Anchorage.
Taughnee had found the love of her life – that absolutely life-affirming love that is so rare and real – and he was thousands upon thousands of miles away, in Paris, in a hospital, and Taughnee did not currently have the means to go be with him. You can read Taughnee’s story here: Don’t Wait, Love Big
Kathy and I agreed that we should do something.
And being the techie geek girlfriend that I am, I suggested setting up a crowdfunding site (using FundRazr) so Taughnee’s friends could contribute toward a plane ticket to Paris and cover some of her expenses.
Within an hour, we had a site and emailed some of our mutual friends to direct them to it.
Then Taughnee blogged about what we were doing: Thank you from me and tall guy at small door.
By this morning, donations were pouring in.
And within 24 hours, we had reached our fundraising goal.
And the money keeps pouring in.
This is the power of friendship. This is the power of LOVE.
And yes, this is the power of social networks, the Internet, social media.
But without people there – people who care – the technology means nothing.
What are some of your favorite social media stories?