Yesterday I started to tell you why Newsvine is not just another social bookmarking/networking site. I'm sure many Newsviners will offer various reasons but mine comes from finding out for myself in a very distressing way (don't worry the story has a happy ending).

As I was saying it was on Saturday that it really dawned on me why Vinemeet was so special and by extension Newsvine. After being reprimanded for parking our cars on the road, which I had done because the driveway was steep and I did not want to back out, I decided to back into the driveway…Only, I missed the driveway and ended up in a ditch at the end of one that was only partially paved.

When my Newsvine buddies realized what I had done, they all came to my rescue and the remaining six (several had gone home earlier that day) spent the better part of an hour trying to dig the car out, put things under the tire for traction…there was even mention of rolling the car down the hill in neutral…

It was the comradery, the calm reassurance and “we’re in this together” attitudes that made me realize that these people were not just virtual friends anymore; they had become real friends.

“Don’t worry,” said Walt. “We have all day and none of us are going to give up trying to help you get your car out.”

“It’ll be okay Kim,” Amy said. "We’ll figure something out."

Even Wisome shed his prankster facade and became an amazing asset in this semi-crisis. 

I was very upset and trying to think positive but…How would I get home? Rolling down the hill – though an obviously bad idea – was looking like the only option. As two of the guys ventured down the hill to see if there was any clearance (and actually trying to clear trees), Winsome mentioned that I might do well to call a tow truck; surely they had the tools to pull a car out of a ditch.

“Oh yeah,” I replied sheepishly. “I have AAA.” I was so embarrassed and horrified that I had backed into a ditch, I had completely forgotten that I had roadside assistance; and this was a time for assistance if ever the was one.

With that realization we all relaxed a little – though I would not relax until my car was returned safely to the proper driveway. Everyone worked very hard to keep my mind off of my dirt entrenched car and I made the call to AAA to send someone over stat. We laughed about being covered in dirt and the solution that had been available all along.

While we waited, we made and received calls from Newsviners all over the world – Tazmania, Turkey, Florida, and I think there was one in the UK. Of course I became the butt of the joke having sunk my car in the dirt; all in good fun though and an effort to keep me from crying.

Which I almost did when the tow truck driver told me I had to sign a waiver relinquishing him and AAA from being responsible for any damage that may or may not happen during the “rescue” process. I said okay but rushed to the bathroom, to say a quick prayer and gather my thoughts. It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay.

As I signed the form, I asked anxiously, trying to sound breezy, “Do you think there will be any damage? You know internal?”

“Oh probably not,” he said with certainty. “Most likely just damage to the bumper if it scrapes the lip of that driveway. I’ll do my best not to do any damage but I can’t promise anything.”

As I walked away to let him finish the job of towing my car out of the hole, I saw all of my new friends standing on the deck watching with the same intense anxiety that I felt. We all braced ourselves to hear the scraping of metal on asphalt and were relieved when there was none. We were even further relieved when the car was pulled completely out of the ditch and onto the paved driveway.

Once I parked my car in the correct driveway – head in – we all went inside and sat together. I wrote a Newsvine post about the car calamity knowing that if I didn’t someone else would and the humiliation would be much worse.

For the rest of the day, we lamented that we would have to go home in the morning. The idea of not seeing each other for possibly another year was almost unbearable. That evening we lit a fire, told stories, sang songs (Walt on the guitar) and avoided the reality that we would have to wake early to clean the cabin and go our separate ways. Before we left, we all expressed our love, took a few group photos and tried not to cry...Although as soon as we got in the car Amy did cry and I hugged her tight fighting back my own tears.

Imaging traveling across the country to meet people you’d never met in real life to find that they would become some of your favorite people in the world. Imagine a virtual friendship, extended to the real world and a bond that most social networkers will never know. That, is what Vinemeet is all about: the blurring of the real and virtual world to create true friendships that will last a lifetime. And that is why Newsvine is so much more than just social bookmarking and networking. 

Know More about Vinemeet West:

Proper Care and Feeding of Vinemeeters: A Primer 

Vinemeet West: How I Became the Sexiest Man on Newsvine (Satire)

Vinemeet West: Report & Photos