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I’m stupefied. There are a hundred people in my Friends’ list. I don’t think I know a hundred people in my day-to-day life. It’s a bit like waking up one day and realising you’re an adult. (Hasn’t happened yet, in case you’re wondering.)

You lot could restock the human race. You are twice as numerous as the minimum “effective population size” used by biologists to avoid falling into the shallow end of the gene pool. (If any of you want to take me literally, I would be happy to attend the wedding, but not the nuptials.)

Assuming no one gets hurt, you lot can field five rugby teams with a referee and linesmen. (In case some of you don’t know about rugby, it’s a game for psychopaths played by gentlemen. Football [or soccer] is a game for gentlemen, and now ladies, played by psychopaths. With money and hairstyles. American football isn't played; it's marketed.)

In some countries with proportional representation, all we have to do is settle in the same area, get passports and we can change governments!

If you factor the number of people in my friends’ list as individual wishes, you get more wishes than there are atoms in the universe.

These are just numbers. Let’s talk facts.

Most, if not all, of you have an impressive command of English, but here are some of the languages (I think) you speak:
Catalan, Castilian, Creole, Czech, English (as spoken in Birmingham), Faroese, Farsi, Flemish, French, German, Greek, Hindi (I think), Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Magyar, Malay (I think, although there are over 100 languages spoken in Malaysia), Mandarin, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Serbo-Croat, Swedish, Urdu, Vietnamese and even Welsh, along with others I gave up on or just don’t know. Potential friends speaking Albanian, Biltong, Denghzeng, Oscan, Quechua, Turkish, X!ing and Zebligngew (I made some of those up) are more than welcome to complete the set.

More importantly, you all speak the same language: the desire to share. What’s really important is that you all understand each other.

A highly unscientific look at your profile shots places those of you who aren't dogs or cats in your late-20s / early 30s (I divided by 7 for the others). Those of you outside the statistical mean should feel great about how young / mature you all look.

All of you strike me as intelligent, optimistic, curious, caring and creative people. Why you have me as a friend is beyond me. I must be the exception that proves the rule.

What enchants me is not how different you are, but how similar. We all have the same desires, the same needs, the same joys and happiness. The fact that you share them here and that I am privileged to witness them makes me fascinated.

I’m honoured. Thank you.

...because...it is so nice to sit besides you, talk a little philosophy and watch the sea...while I should start to write a report,read my mail, do about 20 phone calls, prepare a meeting, prepare a very difficult talk to a collegue...I think I prefer sitting with you for another minute ... :-) daisydavinci · 2009-05-08: 01:37

well you give so much free speeches that i felt I needed to be in your list, mainly cos i always have to read them more than once and carefully to get what you mean, I don´t consider my English bad, but compared to yours mine is absolutely poor..so here i am, trying to learn from you in two ways: your language and your photography, always paying attention to your critiques and interest in this page, you are nto common (not sure if that is good or bad lol) and talkign about friend´s list, mine has a lot too and you are right, I dont know the most of them, in fact I only know 3 or 4, I get amazed when peoplel sends you an invite, someone who has never commented nor given a sign to be interested on your photos,,and sometimes I wonder: does that person want to be in my list cos he/she likes my photos or just cos he / she wants to have lots of people commenting on his /hers?? ( I knwo may sound silly for you, but that´s what i think, sorry) but yeah, as you say I also feel honoured :) Am I giving the speech now? maybe lol,,ok ,,,shhhh...I´ll sit there by that old man (he is old, not me) and will try not to give him a speech about the weather! TIM927 · 2009-05-08: 03:28

Why am I at your list of "friends" ? To look at your photos (which are good quality), and read (ok, it is often after I reread everything 3 times, I understood) what you write here, is fine to do. It's simple as that ! :o)) Ryana · 2009-05-08: 04:48

Because we have an unresolved pun challenge between us:) I too am amazed that I have so many friends in so many countries that share similar interests. The one sad thing about having many friends in far away places is that I can't say something like "Hey Stéfan, lets go get some drinks tonight!" dontblink · 2009-05-08: 07:36

I think it's all about sharing and self-expression, and perhaps also a bit about making up for lack of friends in real life... or at least lack of such friends who would be willing to express unwavering enthusiasm about the photos we take on daily basis... ;)) oh, and I'm glad you included my mother tongue in your list, which is Polish Nychthemeron · 2009-05-08: 08:25

First, love the shot. It tells a story - my favorite type of photo. Next, why do I like having you as a friend? Not only do I enjoy your wonderful photography, but your commentaries make me think...which I do all too little of these days. Totally agree with your ideas on this community of wonderful people who've come together from all over the world - I, too, feel honored to be a part of it. lookagain · 2009-05-08: 09:04

It was you who added me as a friend so you should also know why.. ;) However, I enjoy your posts very much and like your style. Actually, I have already met 2 people in real life just because we are good friends in Photoblog, I invited at least 5 of my real life friends to Photoblog, I have serious invitations from 2 other Photoblog friends and I'm quite sure that if I happen to travel to Athens once, I'll make a date with you. =))) And I also speak Russian which you didn't include in your list. =P I just heard a few days ago that Serbo-Croatian language does not exist according to the constitutions of the concerned countries.. =D Nellinka · 2009-05-08: 12:30

Great picture and as usual a thought- provoking commentary to go with it. Robertthebob · 2009-05-08: 13:59

Ooooh, now you're making me cry ... ;) yellodog · 2009-05-08: 14:51

Thank you for describing your friends as "intelligent, optimistic, curious, caring and creative people"--I am happy because I am one of them. You are my friend because we have so many thoughts in common--don't you see that. Jokes apart I really like your outspoken nature which somehow I feel has become a little subtle. I agree with you on so many aspects and right now I can fill a page but I'll let that go. Finallly i need'nt exaggerate the fact what an excellent photographer you are and I value each and every comment you make on my shots...thanks for being my friend. oh oh oh--I am so emotional on a Friday evening--I think you should make up by making us all laugh.... bedazzled · 2009-05-08: 16:09

Great shot & nice post! oakley · 2009-05-08: 16:17

Very zen shot and I wish I was late 20s! Lynda · 2009-05-08: 17:10

great shot, love it, and why friends? Well you invited me, and i'm glad you did, i like your pictures, happy about the honest comment you gave on my bench shot. And whatever you write on your blog, all is so true but written in a very amusing way :-)) eternity65 · 2009-05-08: 17:47

Beautiful picture - I'm on the list because I've only been on photoblog for less than two months and you've kept me company the whole time. From the begining you have offered your valued opinion on my pictures and have commented on them all except one or two and i appreciate you taking the time to do this. I also think in the real world I'd enjoy having a pint and putting the world to rights with you. Memphis · 2009-05-08: 20:34

Good post, friend. Jarvo · 2009-05-08: 21:17

I want to be that old man... well sort of, *blink blink*. Give yourself some credit. You're the only one who's dragged me into the room to talk... ;) thebronzebow · 2009-05-08: 23:37

Awesome shot & words to follow. joycephotography · 2009-05-09: 12:00

Amen brother. Tanks. Pretty cool shot too. smbunation · 2009-05-09: 12:13

Hyd yn oed Cymraeg!! Ta :-) ????? · 2009-05-09: 15:35

The internet has given us all new ways to connect, make friends and share our lives a little and our interests. It makes me happy to know that I can speak with people from all over the world, see what they see and share my home with them too. I can see Greece, China, England. Mexico and so many other places and know that I have a friend in a particular place and see it through his or her eyes. I've learned a lot by showing my pictures, seeing which ones people like best and looking at other's photos. You've all given me so many ideas! ????? · 2009-05-09: 21:12

Cool shot and moving words. Mr Revenant for President! Now it's just a matter of us all getting the same passport... odradek · 2009-05-11: 12:48

A nice moody shot AND an interesting read! As a 55 year old I might tip the scales of your age averaging however! :) DancingDolphin · 2009-05-11: 14:30

Beautiful light in this picture, I like the symmetry of it (but you choose not to make it all symmetrical?) Interesting thoughts in your text, friend :-) hannamagnusson · 2009-05-11: 14:37

nicely done with the lighting PS you can add Afrikaans to the languages slowpete · 2009-05-12: 09:02

La he puesto en favoritos....es maravillosa !! JordiJoan · 2009-05-12: 17:10

hmmmm.... I`ll take my time to comment this. its gonna be not the shortest;-) because your thoughts have stirred up mine regarding this topic that were always hovering disturbingly in my mind, ever since i`ve joined this blog. longimanus · 2009-05-13: 17:13

When I`ve joined this blog, and received my first friend invite, I was a little confused... why someone I`ve never heard of, never met wants to be my friend? For me the word friendship means a lot. I call only those people my friends that I know inside out, and based on this true knowledge I accept and love them. Online, virtual friendships in my opinion are not comparable to real life ones, therefore I`d not use the same word, but anything else.... dont know, blog-pal or something similar... because the question of the legitimacy of online relationships is: can you build a connection without the psysical component? How do you know that the picture you create about a “friend” here on the blog based on that limited information provided by some images and a few thoughts is a real one, and not an idealized reflection of ourselves? Somehow and unfortunately, online friendships seem to progress faster and get deeper than face to face ones, because internet wipes away social expectations and barriers. People dont have to be consistently responsible for what they do as well as they only show selective sides of themselves. But anyway, I am not questioning the greatness and values of this wonderful platform of exchanging and sharing thoughts and life experiences... it is a valuable place. I love it. But all the above thoughts arise when I think especially about the shadow side of such virtual communities and “friendships”... for example when people leaving the blog because feeling missunderstood or criticised or whatever reason... and I`d like to tell them, why do you care so much about the words of someone you dont even really know? why do you leave? What were you here for? Its wonderful to share thoughts, opinions, critics, whatever, but they should definitely not have such importance that would bring people to commit electronic suicide! Hmmm... its not my day, cant express myself the way I wish and also realized it has not that much to do with your wonderful statement above, except the word “friends”, but sorry, these are the thoughts yours arised..but generally, what I wanted to say is, that yes, lets appreciate the values, advantages of this wonderful virtual community, but we should also realize and accept its limitations. The real friends are out there, those on whose shoulder you can cry out your sorrows, with whom you can laugh tears... and make sure you have more time for them than for this blog :-) wonderful image, by the way, somehow intriguing, full of questionmarks... want to see his face, want to look inside his mind.... longimanus · 2009-05-14: 09:58

Tagged: revenant friends