Beautiful, moving essay, Kirk. Thanks so much for writing it.
Ditto to what everybody else has said. Not only do none of my friends totally get it (a couple kind of do), but the very people I live with and theoretically am closest to -- my husband, for example -- have NO IDEA.
Also, regarding our community here, I'll have to say call this one of the weirdest social experiences I've ever had, but I love it. I'm blown away when I stop to think that every day, several times a day in fact, I am spending time with a group of people I feel genuine affection toward, even though I only have the sketchiest concepts of the superficial demographic things that you learn about people in "real life" the moment you look at them. I mean, I know where some of you live, but not all; I know what some of you look like (at least what can be determined from avatars), but not all; I know some of your ages, but not all, and so on. In a few cases I'm not even entirely clear on your genders! And yet disembodied or not I feel like I really know you well, at least in some ways, and I can say things to you guys that I wouldn't say to anyone else I know, including my spouse. How weird is that? But I also find it very, very interesting.
What would we have done if the movie had come out 10 years ago?
Oh, and one other thing I've wanted to say for a long time. You guys are SUCH good writers. I'm a writer by profession (I know a few others here are, too), and I know a lot of writers in "real-life," but I don't know anyone with whom I'd rather exchange thoughts in writing with than you guys. You are so articulate, thoughtful, and sensitive. I am constantly amazed at what I read here.
Katherine