At the risk of incurring the wrath of the hyperbole police, I’m happy to say that being on Twitter has changed my life, unequivocally and for the better. What initially seemed to me a hyperactive and undisciplined side effect of modern life quickly became modern life itself.

I joined Twitter in the fall of 2008, when I realized it wasn’t going to go away and that I needed to make an informed decision to be able to address the questions I figured would come my way soon enough, from the clients I didn’t yet have. (I like to plan ahead.) I joined, followed a couple of people, typed out a few tweets. And then it clicked. The 140-character constraint meant that everything, more or less, needed to be a tagline. And thus was I sold. (OMG TAGLINES.)

A couple of months later I was laid off from a job I’d been trying to leave in order to focus on writing and brand identity full-time. Problem was, I didn’t have enough samples to prove myself as such, and my resume was a hodge-podge; lots of drive and personality; not a lot of sexy. Here’s what happened next:

• Someone on Twitter started recommending me as a copywriter, based on the blog I had then
• I got a ton of clients from her recommendations
• Which built up my portfolio very, very quickly, thereby getting me more clients
• I met a local bunch of Twitter people and teamed up on work with one of them
• Because of Twitter’s “exploding branches” growth pattern (I did, in fact, make that up!), I met many, many outstanding people/leaders in their fields
• And made the acquaintance of a couple of very well-known people I admire
• Which led to more exploding-branch action, as well as
• Air fare to Toronto, where I met up with one of the exploding-branch people, who’s now a dear friend
• A full magazine staff, in 4 days’ time
• Excellent gift suggestions for Mr Gibson, who is remarkably difficult to shop for (he will deny this, but he will fib under duress)
• Contact with a former friend, which aided somewhat in patching things up
• A photograph of one of my favorite musicians, taken by a Twitter friend on the other side of the world, who attended the same event as said musician
• Several offers of lodging in various parts of the world (most notably New Zealand! Hi, friends!)
• Almost-instant reassurance that several friends were safe after the recent natural disasters in New Zealand and Japan
• More encouragement, goodwill, comfort, and helpful advice than I would have envisioned, ever

It’s difficult, now, to imagine my life without this seamlessly-cobbled community. And it’s difficult for the people in my life who don’t use Twitter to understand how and why I do this. They’re strangers I’m talking to? Like, all the time, or something? Yes and no; mostly no. In my mind’s eye, the people with whom I interact on Twitter are twinkling lights across the globe: Toronto, New York, Asheville, Chicago, Austin, Vancouver, Auckland, Wellington, London, Tokyo, the suburbs, the small towns, the islands off the coasts of small towns.  They’re people I know. People I trust. Okay, look: they’re people I love.

Happy 5th birthday, Twitter.