My very best friends are some that I met through an online group. When we decided to meet, we met as a group in a library meeting room. That was more than 10 years ago & we are more sisters than friends now. We have laughed together, cried together & lost friends from the group to death. If one of the group is in need for anything, we come together to help. Every year we have a group picnic & even our families are close now. I've also met some pretty strange (IMHO) people from another group. I didn't mind meeting others as long as it was a public place at first - some clicked - some didn't. Now I don't obligate to meet for several reasons. I no longer drive, every time I leave home I have to load up the car with oxygen tanks, & have someone drive me & it just physically takes every thing out of me to be away from home. I can't be gone longer than 6 hours anyway, or miss a breathing treatment - the inhaler just doesn't hold me as well as the nebulizer supplied meds. I think the secret to successful meetings is to take it slow & make it public
Hugs
Shirley in Indiana