Okay, so I was pretty much going to flake out (again!!) on posting this week. Because this is basically the Worst. Tuesday. Ever. I won’t go into details on my particular personal drama except to say that I’m just swimming (drowning) in a black lake of fear, grief, loneliness and general hopelessness.

And writing a perky tech tip just seemed so completely pointless in that context, you know? Right now, if I papered over my pain and told you that keyboard shortcuts could change your life, or pasted on a fake grin and did a cheerleading routine for Firefox, it would increase my blog post total by one, but it wouldn’t be a heart-centered act.

Here’s the thing: Being heart-centered isn’t always sweetness and light. Staying centered in a heart that is broken, squashed, or ripped to smithereens — there’s a challenge. I have yet to see the keyboard shortcut that can fix that problem.

So here’s what I’m doing. I’m connecting with you. Yes, you. You’re out there in your RSS readers and inboxes and surfing the web, and I’m making an emotional connection with you, even though I can’t see you, hear you, or touch you. If you’re still reading, let me just say that I’m so incredibly grateful for each of you.

Technology makes this connection possible, but the connection is not about technology. It’s about the fact that you and I are both humans, capable of feeling joy, connection, and, yes, pain. (Sorry, spambots and search-engine robots; you’re not part of this particular web).

This web of connection is why blogs work. Blogs aren’t about the whizbang plugins or the spiffy search-engine optimization (though these can certainly enhance the interaction). Blogs are about connecting readers, posters, and commenters. The web of connection is why Twitter works. Twitter connects people in near-real-time, allowing spontaneous conversations between people thousands of miles apart.

So today, I’m not asking for your business, or for a donation, or for a referral, or for a testimonial. I’m asking you to take a moment and feel this connection between you and me. You don’t have to do anything to make it real, or cement it, or commemorate it; it exists right now as surely as you’re reading this. Acknowledging that connection may seem simple, but it’s profound. And trust that I’m feeling it too; that even in the depths of my despair I can sense that web of connection out there, in here.

Just feel it with me for a moment. Can you? I can. I do.

To take the web a step further, consider extending a new connection to someone else, online or off. Follow someone new on Twitter (or sign up for a Twitter account), write a new blog post, comment on someone else’s blog, friend someone on Facebook.

This week’s heart of the matter: How can you let (not make!) technology connect you with someone today? Even if that technology is an old friend like the phone? Even if it’s writing a letter? Or sending a text message? A little smiley face can go a long way.