Posts Tagged ‘blogging’

There was a recent report discussing how kids these days (heh) no longer read or write blogs. Instead, in their micro-sized ADD culture, they prefer to read status updates on Facebook. Okay, I can understand that. Part of the way I kill time is to scroll through my news updates and see what teensy morsel people have to toss out into the digital realm. It’s quick, it’s easy…and sometimes I really don’t need mundane details and 140 characters will suffice just fine. Ironically (is that the right usage? I can still never tell) sometimes people still manage to put out the most mundane details in 140 characters.

On the other hand, I don’t want just snippets. I want stories, gosh darnit! Call me a cranky, crotchety dinosaur here, but I used to like reading blogs from friends, or even people I didn’t know that well but sort of knew. There is something about a well-written personal blog with a few snarky comments is just…well, just plain entertaining to me. I like reading about the near disaster my friend had during a class, or some other befuddling musing in their head. Or perhaps it was a recent accomplishment, or a vent. Of course, I do add that one stipulation is that certain friends are just good writers. Those that aren’t…well, the entertainment value comes more from execution rather than content.

Either way, it’s sad to say that a good portion of the former blog world that I used to frequent from friends is no longer there. Of course, this was due to platforms like Xanga…and I’m convinced my cousin is one of the rare ones still existing there. (Hi Gogo).

Hand me a cane, if I wax nostalgia for a little longer I’ll be needing it during my tirade about dem whippersnappers these days.

Man, the Internet makes me feel old sometimes.

I promised myself that I would write more once NaNoWriMo was over.  Then again, I tend to promise a lot of things to myself.  If I managed to fulfill any of the promises that I actually make, I would be fluent in Mandarin and Japanese by now and have a puppy.  Ah, well.  Anyway, I started thinking lately about a lot of things.

And by a lot of things I mean…two things.

One thing that has been on my mind lately is how different this holiday feels compared to the other ones that I’ve had in the past 25 years of my life.  I’m not going home to Dallas this year to spend a few blissful days at home with family and friends.  I didn’t have a tree in my apartment, I didn’t go super crazy with Christmas shopping and cards all over the place.  In fact, there wasn’t much holiday going on this December other than my insistence that I listen to Christmas music whenever I had the chance in the car.

Another thought I had was about my blog.  Since I’ve been perusing around lately at other blogs from friends and 20-something year olds such as myself, I started to wonder why I didn’t blog as much anymore.  Sure, I could attribute it to how much I’ve been working lately.  Other times, it’s because I just don’t have anything interesting to share.  But then, I remembered how I used to write all the time in my old “blog.”  My incessant ramblings of my college life came to me easily, and I had no qualms about sharing it with the little digital slice of my world…those few friends and family that felt like reading my thoughts.

All of a sudden, in the working world, blogging didn’t seem to be so easy anymore.  I admit that I’m sometimes envious of those people who have their wordpress blogs and can say whatever they want.  I sort of miss that bit of freedom.  But now, much like any other public forum, a lot more care goes into my posts.  (I wish I could say a lot more care goes into the grammatical structure of my posts as well, but c’mon…who am I kidding here?)

So now, here I am.  Pondering about my holiday season, and wondering why I even bother to blog anymore.  After all, as publications such as Wired and online influencers have said before — blogging is sooooooo passe.

I think there are a few fundamental reasons why people blog:

1. To inform - these are the people that actually know their stuff, and want to share it with other people.  Whether its sharing news, giving tips, or providing insight, I find a lot of these blogs are quite niche.  Given that I can’t claim true expertise on…well…much, a niche blog just doesn’t feel right to me.

2. To share - These are the free floating blogs around the Internet that I sometimes envy.  You know the ones I’m talking about.  They seem to blather on about the little things in life, and yet they do so in such a manner that people are INTERESTED in what they have to write about.  Babies, I find, are an endless source of entertaining information for a lot of people.

3. To entertain - I think this goes without much explanation.

4. To feed their own self-aggrandizing agenda - Well…yeah.

Of course, I know that this isn’t a comprehensive list.  But since I only have a limited time on this free Wi-Fi in the airport (props, Google!) I thought I’d throw out some of those general buckets.

So why do I blog?  Well, in a way, it’s a little bit of 1 to 4.  I like entertaining my reader(s), I like sharing news, and I can’t help but share my bit of personal news for all to read.  Why?  I don’t know.  I think some people would say that it’s because I enjoy writing, and others would point to the fact that I’m a bit of an attention whore.  At any rate, a bit of a revelation hit me while I was daydreaming on the MUNI recently.

I was pondering both thoughts earlier about the holidays and blogging.  And I realized that there are a lot of reasons to blog, but this holiday season, maybe I should spread a little cheer through the things I write.  Sure, maybe nobody will read my post.  And overall, I’m sure nobody really reads my blog anyway.  But if I’m able to share just one warm fuzzy happy thought for the season, then that’s all the reason in the world to keep writing.  I’m happy knowing that somehow, I’m able to make someone smile.

Of course, I hope you reader(s) out there enjoy my upcoming posts about my trip to Asia.  Woo hoo!

Oh, but, as I was saying: a friend of mine (hi Weber) sent me this link from Reddit today, and I felt like it was perfect for this post.  Happy reading, everybody.  May you all be blessed with happiness and joy this season with your loved ones.

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I was day tripping to Vancouver from Seattle and stopped in for lunch at a little cafe. From my window I saw a young teenage girl out in the cold, squatted down in a closed up businesses doorway, holding a small bundle in her arms. She was panhandling, people were mostly walking by ignoring her. She looked just broken.

I finished up my meal and went outside, went through my wallet and thought I’d give her $5 for some food. I got up to her and she was sobbing, she looked like she was 14-15. And that bundle in her arms was a baby wrapped up. I felt like I just got punched in the chest. She looked up putting on a game face and asked for any change, I asked her if she’s like some lunch. Right next door was a small quick-Trip type grocery store, I got a can of formula for the baby (very young, maybe 2-3 months old.), and took her back to the cafe though I’d just eaten. She was very thankful, got a burger and just inhaled it. Got her some pie and ice cream. She opened up and we talked. She was 15, got pregnant, parents were angry and she was fighting with them. She ran away. She’s been gone almost 1 full year.

I asked her if she’s like to go home and she got silent. I coaxed her, she said her parents wouldn’t want her back. I coaxed further, she admitted she stole 5k in cash from her Dad. Turns out 5k doesn’t last long at all and the streets are tough on a 15 year old. Very tough. She did want to go back, but she was afraid no one wanted her back after what she did.

We talked more, I wanted her to use my phone to call home but she wouldn’t. I told her I’d call and see if her folks wanted to talk to her, she hesitated and gave bad excuses but eventually agreed. She dialed the number and I took the phone, her Mom picked up and I said hello. Awkwardly introduced myself and said her daughter would like to speak to her, silence, and I heard crying. Gave the phone to the girl and she was just quiet listening to her Mom cry, and then said hello. And she cried. They talked, she gave the phone back to me, I talked to her Mom some more.

I drove her down to the bus station and bought her a bus ticket home. Gave her $100 cash for incidentals, and some formula, diapers, wipes, snacks for the road.

Got to the bus, and she just cried saying thank you over and over. I gave her a kiss on the forehead and a hug, kissed her baby, and she got on the bus.

I get a chistmas card every year from her. She’s 21 now and in college.

Her name is Makayla and her baby was Joe.

I’ve never really told anyone about this. I just feel good knowing I did something good in this world. Maybe it’ll make up for the things I’ve f-ed up.

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To read more, go here.

I’ve noticed that a lot of people are very keen on building their own personal “brand” lately.  This seems to have exploded due to the availability of online tools that help people blog, tweet, or proclaim just about anything and EVERYTHING going on in their lives.

For example, Joe likes coffee in the morning, and that might be the only thing you used to know about ‘ol Joe Schmo.  But now, thanks to handheld mobile devices, you know exactly when he’s on his way into work and exactly when he found a really nifty YouTube video about a talking cat that he’s going to forward it around.  Heck, if you’d like to read more in-depth coverage of Joe’s adoration for coffee, you can read it at www.joesthoughts.com.  Oh, and don’t forget to get LinkedIn and also check out his new photo albums of his recent trip to Costa Rica.  Ah, such hilarity that ensued!  How do you know?  Because of all the comments left by his FB pals alike validating said assumption.

But beyond these tools that help build up the “brand” or “image” that Joe Schmo is really keen on coffee and sends around hilarious links (thereby making him quite the media maven), one thing that I’ve always found interesting is the title of each person.  

In fact, in many ways I think certain key words in person’s title is quite telling.  A few that come to mind include -

Assistant

Translation: I’m on my way up in the world!  How would you like your coffee?

Consultant

Translation: I’m think I’m better than you and deserve your money

Self-employed Consultant

Translation: I’m unemployed but I still deserve your money

Entrepreneur

Translation: I’m really unemployed … but I don’t care

Contractor

Translation: I’m unemployed … and I do care, please hire me please please please

Developer

Translation: Wait, what do I do again?  I forgot, but it is probably kinda important

Digital

Translation: I’m cutting edge and I don’t want to be unemployed in the future

Executive

Translation: I feel important

Chief

Translation: F u, I really am important

Manager

Translation: I take my coffee with cream and one sugar

Freelancer

Translation: I have employment ADD