Member-only story
A Medium Meet-Up
Online friends IRL
Medium is a community. If you engage with others, you’ll develop online friendships that may be as meaningful or possibly more meaningful than some of your in-real-life relationships. That’s how I feel about Jack Herlocker and his wife, Deb.
Jack and I have followed one another since my early days on Medium. Although Deb doesn’t have her own Medium account, Jack writes about her and shares their conversations often enough that I consider them both to be my online friends.
On their recent trip to Florida, they stopped by my city en route from Jacksonville to Disney. We met for lunch at Humble Pizza, a restaurant I’ve written about.
Jack and Deb were exactly how I imagined they would be in real life. In fact, their interactions remind me of how Ben and I responded to one another. If Ben were still alive, I know he would have liked Jack and Deb as much as I do.
Fortunately, they visited after the Artic blast that plunged our temperatures into the 20sF. We dined on Humble’s dining porch, enjoying the warm weather and brilliant sunshine. Afterward, we shopped at The Lynx Bookstore nearby.
It was my first experience meeting anyone from Medium, and the Herlockers did not disappoint. I hope to meet other Medium friends in the future. And, who knows, maybe one day I can visit Jack and Deb on their home turf!
© Dennett 2025
