These Are My People by @kerrijack

Last year, two friends I know professionally in town Natalie and Angel started joking around on Twitter that each were getting close to (I think it was) 400 followers. A bet was made that whoever got to 400 first got a drink from the other. My friend Stacey and I both perked up like Scooby Doo, “Drinks? Social? Fun?” Things took off from there. Let’s invite EVERYONE! So the call went out: We’re having a TweetUp! Anyone in Little Rock on Twitter, let’s meet up at Sticky Fingerz. We’ll be nerds. Won’t that be fun?!

Read her full post at damnyoulittlerock.wordpress.com

On Little Rock Tweetups by @mattbarnette

… I realize what kind of people are out there, and I, more than anyone (and this will seem strange coming from me, probably) am in love with the world. I am constantly amazed, dumbfounded, and learning about the world I live in and the people who inhabit it. Sure, when life on our planet is gone it will barely be a blip on the galaxy’s radar, but I am part of that larger community and it is beautiful and I am proud to have been a tiny speck of dust in it.

Read his full post at mattbarnette.com

Are You The Answer to My Mid-Life Crisis? by @pstrack

This is a community that has encouraged me to Take Time To Give. A community that has taught me that you won’t find a Gowalla at the Zoo, but you might find Monkey Boy there. A community that has shown me the power of 140 characters. A community that may despise presentations, but loves the Prezi. A community that has convinced me that Print Lives. A community that stays up all night, and is still able to  contribute incredibly during the day.  A community that not-so-gracefully informed us all that ice cream isn’t just a treat for kids!

Read his full post at pstrack.wordpress.com

I Didn’t Win an iPod. I Won a New Community by @alextcone

… it wasn’t until I went to an integrating media conference that I knew I would never turn back. @pstrack gave away several iPod Nanos. I didn’t win one, but after that day I won a new community. I met @amybhole, @cherylferg, @KatieMcManners, @RobMcBryde, @kerrijack and so many other exceptional personalities. #LRTweetup finally made sense. There would be no more holding back. My wife would permanently think me a dork, but I would forever be a card carrying member of the Little Rock twitter community: #LRTweetup

Read his full post at alextcone.tumblr.com

At One Year… What #LRtweetup Means to me by @marleysmom

We depend on one another for advice and support. It’s pretty awesome to me – especially since my support network here in Arkansas is limited by the fact that I didn’t grow up here. What #LRTweetup really means is that I have a group of people I can depend on to be authentic about everything from which shoes to buy to how much they retweet information about H1N1.

Read her full post at UALR.edu/tosmith

My LRtweetup Story’s Just Beginning by @stephhwilliams

So here’s my story about how I don’t really have a story … yet…

…Why in the world would I want to involve myself in anything that limits me to 140 characters or less? Because it’s fun. Well, there you go: in less than 20…

I kept to myself a bit and recognized more tweeps than I actually talked to IRL. But I did hang out in the corner a bit with @kellimarks; got my pic taken by @laureneclark; spotted @jamiewalden money for a drink; and even won a door prize from @Heifer.

So I figure the more I go to these get-togethers, the more comfortable I’ll get. Then, I’ll really have a story to tell. Then, God help us all – unless someone cuts me off every 140 characters.

Read Stephs full post at StephsWonderfulLife.blogspot.com

My #LRtweetup story by @arkstfan

LRTweetUp is more than a social group or business networking program. The participants care about Central Arkansas and making it a better place. Helping local non-profits has been a big part all along. Choosing that path has been essential to the character of the organization. It reminds us to put others before self and that shapes the tone of our community…

We share a lot with each other, sometimes too much, but we know a lot of things about each other that our regular circles of friends and family don’t know about each other.

There is trust and genuine concern for each other….

…Quite a few of us have shared some of our worst days with each other and every time, the community has been there to share the pain. There have also been a lot of shared celebrations as well.

Read Mark’s full post at his ArkStFan Blog

As part of our 1 year celebration we asked you to share your #LRtweetup experience and the response has been an overwhelming and moving community narrative.

While I’d knew these stories would give people an idea of what it means to be connected to this group I didn’t expect to discover that I had no idea how people came to be involved.

These stories are funny, profound, touching, and give a glimpse into the hundreds of small interactions that turned a bunch of strangers into friends.

My @LRtweetup Story by @jgreghenderson

my 17 people I am following has turned into 370, and this little meetup that I was shy about has become one of the most important parts of my life…

…these stories are still being written. The book is not closed, not by a long shot. As this community grows and matures there will be more stories. Just like any relationship, not all of those stories will be good ones, and we will likely have hard times. I think I speak for others though that this is more than just a monthly gathering. It has become a very large part of my life.

Read his full post at StayClassyLittleRock.com

For all the tweeps I’ve loved before by @savannahb

As a stay-at-home mom, most of my daily interaction had been with short people who had terrible conversational skills, and who regularly pooped on themselves. Twitter opened up a whole new world for me; a way to communicate with real grown-ups, who talked about real things (even if those real things were sometimes euphemistic. Ice cream, anyone?), and who were within a virtual arm’s length all day long…

…my circle of friends has grown by about 300, minus a few spambots and national companies. I feel like I am heard, even if I’m only talking about Adventures in Mommyhood. I feel less alone during the long days at home with the short people. I feel part of a real community; one that has grown not out of sameness or complacency, but out of a genuine want to know others and expand social horizons.

Read her full post at ChasingMyBees.com

What @LRtweetup Means to me by @cherylferg

It’s truly weird for me to call people I barely know my friends.  However, that’s the way I feel about most of the people involved in the Little Rock Tweetup community…

…At times I feel as though we are all trudging up the same steep hill just to make it through another day.  All the while, we encourage each other along the way.  We’ve gone through loses, illnesses and some major disappointments together in a little over a year.  Simply put, we have bonded…

…When we walked into the Capital Bar and Grill, we were loudly greeted by the LR Tweet up community there.  I felt like Norm walking into the bar on Cheers.

And that is what makes the LR Tweet Up Community great…

Read her Full post at ThatsNormalRight.com

Is Your Story Next?

We’ve got a lot more stories to share and everyone that contributes their story will be highlighted here.

If you haven’t shared your story yet perhaps these will inspire you to share your LRtweetup story.

To all of you, we’d like to say a sincere Thank you. The response has been wonderful!