Back in 2002, when I was in sixth grade, my family went to Radio Shack and purchased a router so that we could have our very own internet connection. This was a HUGE deal. Before this, I really only used the computer to make creations on “Paint,” or play my favorite games on CD-ROM.

Our internet ran through a dial-up connection, the OG of internet servers. I still remember announcing “Hey! I’m going on the internet!” which meant no one could be on the phone, then I would click the box on the screen and would hear the classic dial-up sound that would go on for a few minutes before I was connected.

Many things have changed since 2002, and since then, the internet has impacted my life in many ways. Although lately there has been a lot of talk about the negative impacts of social media, and the effects of prolonged internet use on children, I still think there are a lot of cool things about living in such a connected world. Here are five things that happened to me on the internet that are funny, touching, and awe-inspiring.

I Became Semi-Famous on YouTube Before It Was Cool

This first one is pretty cringe-worthy, but it’s a funny and strange story nonetheless. In 2007, when I was in high school, I was hanging out with a few friends just sitting around watching TV when my friend and I got in a silly argument over something and began to play fight. My other friend who was there decided to film it, and later uploaded video that video to YouTube.

Just so you have some background info, YouTube was created in 2005, so at this time, the video-hosting site was only two years old, and to be honest, no one I knew really used it. Well, anyways, as far as our video went, I only remember that my friends and I watched and laughed at it a week or so later, then forgot about it altogether.

Fast forward to a few years ago, the same friend who had uploaded it posted it on my Facebook page saying “Remember this? Check out how many views it has!” I clicked the link and was dumbfounded. That stupid video had 77,000 views. WHAT???

Here’s the explanation: Immaturely at the time, my friend decided to name this video “Lezbian Brawl” because it was me and my other female friend fighting. I shudder now at the thought of this, but when I was in high school, everything that happened between two men was “gay” and everything that happened between two women was “lesbian.” I guess our underdeveloped minds were not comfortable with any sort of sexuality and did not understand how offensive we were being. Ugh.

As you may have noticed, the title of this particular video spells lesbian wrong, with a “Z.” Back when YouTube was created, the search bar did not have spell-check. And thus, anyone looking for lesbian videos on YouTube who thought it was spelled with a “Z” came upon our video. And that is why it has so many views.

Anyways, it’s crazy to think that people watched this stupid fight over 77,000 times. That’s 77,000 people who do not know how to spell lesbian. May this serve as a PSA to all to check yourself, check your privilege, check your spelling, and most importantly, to not write offensive things online!

Seven Members of My Favorite Band Stayed at My House

In college, I was at a small music venue with a friend when I saw a sign indicating that Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles (who now go by Little Fevers)  were going to be playing at that same venue in a few weeks. This was a band that I had listened to for a few years and really liked, so I decided I would go to the show.  

The only problem was that I had a class that night until 9pm, and they were supposed to go on at 9pm. I didn’t want to miss their show, so I messaged them on Facebook to ask if I showed up at 9:30 if I would miss a lot of the show. Not only did they immediately reply and tell me that no, I would not miss the show, but they also asked if I knew a floor they could sleep on for the night. “Uh….you can stay at MY HOUSE!!” I thought, “YOU ARE ONE OF MY FAVORITE BANDS!” After checking in with my roommates, who all agreed it was a great idea, I told them they were welcome to stay over. See convo below:

Long story short, there were only about five people at the show, but I had a great time dancing and calling out requests and getting all my favorite songs played. Afterward, the band followed me home and ended up sleeping on various soft pieces of furniture. The following morning I skipped class to take them all to my favorite breakfast place the next morning. A lovely time was had by all.

This experience really got me and my roommates thinking that there should be some sort of website that pairs touring bands with places that will host them for free, but it turns out couch surfing does a pretty good job of this.

Before this experience, I never even realized the real plight of struggling musicians. Here is an amazing band, one that I cherish and listen to often, and their goal is to just break even on their tours. That means these seven people pile in a little tour van for months on end, which they aren’t even doing it for money, and they don’t always get accolades or even a lot of people at their shows. They just do it for their sheer love of music. Wow. Respect.

I Found Myself on Google Maps While Holding a Jar of Flowers

I found out about Google Maps cars a few years ago, and have been on the lookout for one ever since. I think it’s pretty dope that cars with a big camera stick on them drive down the street and take an amazing panoramic view of basically our entire world. There are loads of funny Google Maps pics on the internet, so I told myself that if I ever saw one, I would make my image memorable, because it would be on there for a while, and hopefully other people would see it and smile. Turns out, when the opportunity presented itself, I barely had to try.

I couldn’t believe it at first, but then immediately began to wave and yell. The image popped up a few months later. And I think it’s pretty memorable.

I Got the Opportunity to Apologize for My Ancestor’s Wrongdoings

In early 2016, the construction of a pipeline was approved in the northern United States. This pipeline, know as the Energy Transfer Partners’ Dakota Access Pipeline, would cross near Standing Rock Indian Reservation, and many who were in the tribe or living on the reservation considered the pipeline to be a threat to their clean water and ancient burial grounds. So, the Standing Rock people chose to fight back. Their fight made national headlines.

The US has a deplorable history of mistreating, assimilating and massacring native people, in essentially what is one of the longest and most widespread genocides and ethnic cleanses of all time. This ensuing protest represented not just clean water for this tribe, but was an homage to all of the mistreatment of native peoples by the American government. Unfortunately, this debacle was no different, as many protestors were beaten and hit with rubber bullets.

My family hails from South Dakota, and my middle name, MacLaughlin, hails from a distant relative of mine who was famous in his time, but potentially not for the right reasons. James MacLaughlin, my great-great-uncle, worked as an Indian Agent in South Dakota, and he was responsible for ordering his arrest and the subsequent  of Sitting Bull in 1890. Sitting Bull, a prominent Lakota leader, is an important symbol to the Lakota people. And my uncle’s actions led to his death.

I try to commemorate this sad history every Thanksgiving with my family members by re-telling the story of Sitting Bull’s death, but I am not met with much receptivity. Many of my relatives claim that we cannot change the past, and that we cannot feel guilty about things our ancestors did. Well, I strongly disagree, and the truth is, the past actions of our people impact what happens in the world today, and we have a responsibility to own up to those actions. So, when I saw this video on Facebook, my heart stopped.

In this video, Brenda White Bull, a descendant of Sitting Bull, talks about her role in the protest. She talks about carrying on Sitting Bull’s legacy, and that even though she never knew him, she is impacted by his life. She says she will never know her own great-grandchildren, but that she also wants them to have some fight in them, and to remember the spirit of their great ancestor.

Brenda was suffering alongside the rest of her people during the protest. I knew I couldn’t change the past, but I also wanted to honor her great-great-grandfather on the anniversary of his death. I wanted to try to be an example for my great-grandchildren too. So, I felt I needed to apologize for my great-great-uncle’s actions. I wrote this comment:

“Brenda White Bull, My Great Great Uncle James Maclaughlin (Indian Agent) was responsible for the arrest that lead to the death of Sitting Bull 126 years ago. I cannot change the past but I can say that the way we Americans have historically treated Native people is one of the greatest tragedies and genocides ever known to humankind, and I can stand in solidarity with Standing Rock. I am with you. And I am sorry. #waterislife”

Nothing crazy ever became of this internet apology. Brenda White Bull acknowledged it with a “Like” and a bunch of other white people commented on it and congratulated me. After some discussion with friends about this comment, I realized that maybe the comment was more for me than it was for her, so that I could feel better about myself and try to quell my white guilt. This could be very true.

Nonetheless, the fact that I could have a means to communicate with Brenda White Bull and allow her to know that my family was thinking about her family during this time was a gift, and I am grateful for the opportunity. Oil is now flowing through this pipeline, and the battle was lost by the protestors, but it was one of the greatest examples of many different tribes coming together for a common cause. It shows that the Native people of our country are still here, and that they matter.

You can donate to the Lakota People’s Law Project who work on a number of social, political, environmental, and educational campaigns for the betterment of the Lakota people here.

I Connected With a Distant Cousin on Ancestry.com

There was a period of my life that I got very into ancestry.com. Now I know that this is mostly a site probably marketed towards retired women, but I think millennials can get into it too because it’s dope!

When I was about eight years old, my grandma gave me a family genealogy as a Christmas gift. Basically, she wrote down everything she knew about our family—all the relatives she could remember, where everyone lived, and prominent events in their lives. When I was eight, I thought this was a pretty lame Christmas gift, but when I looked back through it in college, I decided it was one of the best gifts I ever received, and I now vow to create one to give to my children.

A few years ago, I decided to connect all of these relatives my grandmother recorded through ancestry.com. I swear they did not pay me to say this, but ancestry.com is pretty dang cool. Not only did I find pictures of many of my relatives, but also birth certificates, marriage records, and newspaper articles.

And the coolest thing of all? A distant cousin of mine found the family tree I had made, added to it, and we ended up messaging back and forth a bunch about relatives we had known. I also was able to share my grandmother’s genealogy with her. I live in Rhode Island, and she lives in Minnesota, and you know if I ever go out there, I am totally visiting her. Thanks internet, for showing me my family members!

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While it’s good to be mindful of your internet use, and to make sure you are using it in a positive way, never forget what a gift the internet it, and the amazing connections we can make on it. I feel very lucky to be living in this time period, and can only wait for all the amazing technology to come next. Self-driving cars? Personal tiny jets? Implanted brain chips that record everything we do? OK, maybe not that one…..