I have been consistently referring to myself as, “The least social person in social media” for quite some time.  Now don’t get me wrong, I am not some anti-social hermit who stays locked up in their basement ranting and raving online … but I am also not some socialite who jumps around to all the “hot spots” in town either.

I am perfectly content with going to work in the morning, hanging out with the amazing people I work with at Mindscape at Hanon McKendry, and heading home to enjoy my family.

That is until recently….

No … I am not sick of my co-workers or Amanda and the kids.  I’ve just recently become intrigued by all the amazing events I’ve been seeing and reading about in our amazing city of Grand Rapids.

Before Facebook and Twitter arrived on the scene I wasn’t aware of the social events that were occurring around town, nor most of the people.  Social Media has opened up an entire new world to me and I decided, as the new decade emerged, that I was going to get out and enjoy some of this stuff.

Well I can tell you it has been absolutely amazing and I have an entirely different view of not only this City, but also have realized it is full of some pretty cool people!  People who I never would have had the opportunity to connect with had it not been for social media.

It’s quite a fun thing to go from seeing everyone in profile sized image, and then running into them in real life.  The beauty of social media is that you can identify what you have in common with someone from simply having conversations on Twitter or Facebook, or by just “creeping” on their profile.  🙂

When Facebook and Myspace first arrived on the scene I remember thinking that it could possibly kill the personal aspects of our lives.  I actually thought people would climb into their little cocoons at home and never come out.  Heck … why would they need to come out.  They can keep in touch with anyone they want to right from the comfort of their homes.

I have been pleasantly surprised at how wrong I was!  Social Media transcends the online world, and in my opinion, creates stronger, more vibrant connections between people.  Since I made the choice to abandon my “less-than-social” lifestyle, I’ve been able to truly FEEL what social media is instead of just being able to carry on a conversation about it.

… and it feels awesome!

I’d love to know what your thoughts and experiences have been with social media.  If you find yourself in the position I was in, give it a shot!  If you happen to live in Grand Rapids, Michigan … you are lucky and you’ll get the chance to meet some amazing people through your social media participation!

Please leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts.