Thank You, Strangers of the Internet

The Unique and Untold Power of the Virtual Village

By Jessie WaddellPublished 3 years ago • 4 min read

I’d be lying if I said it took a Pandemic for me to find my voice on the internet. An introvert to my core, I’ve always felt more comfortable behind a screen than in front of other humans.

However, if you add becoming a first-time stay at home parent to the equation, then that, combined with the pandemic sent me in search of what could now only be found in a virtual setting.

My Village.

“It takes a Village to raise a child” - queue another eye roll from me. Add it to the long list of well-meaning, unsolicited advice you get given daily when you’re expecting. I’ve always been the aloof, never-ask-for-help-unless-dying, fiercely independent type and I didn’t see how becoming a parent was about to change that.

Fast forward to April 2020 when I have freshly given birth to the tiny being who was a living, breathing smack in the face that said “You are in WAY over your head”.

I needed help. I needed advice. I needed support.

But it was April 2020. The Pandemic was at its peak. I was alone. No influx of visitors, no health visits, no mother’s groups. Just me, my husband and the overwhelming feeling that comes with being responsible for keeping an entire person alive.

So I went to the only place available. The internet.

There they were. My people. In the thousands. People who were going through the same things as me. I wasn’t alone, not even close. With a quick post I could have hundreds of people just like me to engage with, empathise with and stand in solidarity with.

For a solid 10 months, online parenting groups were my salvation. Sure it was trial and error and there were some that weren’t for me and borderline damaging to be apart of. But not entirely different from the real world.

It was around this time I decided to extend my maternity leave to have another year at home. I wasn’t ready to return to my 9 to 5 and was fortunate enough to be in a position to make that choice. It was also around this time that I started to drift from the parenting groups. I was well beyond the newborn stage and was feeling way less overwhelmed with my new role as “Mum”. Restrictions had also eased and I was getting out and about and connecting with friends in real life again so the reliance was no longer there.

I started my own parenting blog, with a twist. Rather than a space full of all the advice and how to’s you get bombarded with in other parenting groups, It’s an outlet for parents to be able to say “Hey, parenting is weird. Let’s talk about it.”

That little blog reignited my long lost passion for writing. It didn’t take long before I found myself wanting to write about a lot more than my life as a parent.

I realised that for the first time, in a very long time, I had time. Time to do something just because I was passionate about it. My brain wasn’t drained by my day job, in fact, I was looking for something to exercise my mind beyond the day to day with a pre-toddler.

So, I started to write. Articles mainly. For years I had only been practicing academic or business writing so it took a minute for me to remember I was allowed to be creative. Then the poetry came, and I started to fall in love again. The way words could dance together on a page in a melodic way, saying everything in a few short sentences.

I joined Vocal on a whim. The Facebook marketing worked a treat on me and I figured why not give it a go. I’d do the 3 month trial and go from there, worst case scenario, I cancelled and moved on.

But then I found them.

My new village. The creators of the internet. Many of which contribute here on Vocal. They are supportive and kind, but also honest. The Facebook groups are a treasure trove of content and inspiration.

I’d never even considered that I might write fiction until finding this village. They, unknowingly, gave me the courage to try. I have now written 3 short stories and a fictional poem for Vocal challenges and have an extended fiction WIP.

I also do this in secret. My nearest and dearest know I like to blog on occasion but have no idea that I have been writing piece after piece, day after day for months now. Perhaps I’m afraid that one bad review will rock my conviction and cause me to quit. Maybe it’s because I’m erratic and never stick at anything this long and don’t want to jinx it. Or maybe it’s just not wanting to face them if I fail.

Either way, I have a year, and I intend to use it wisely. I want to try new things. Experiment and potentially fail. But above all, I intend to create, learn and thrive.

So thank you, strangers of the internet, for being my village and giving me the courage to chase my passion.