Stephen, The Blur Minion enjoying his Tostitos Scoops while watching the mist rise on the mountain...
Cosmic Cow Pie Talking Point: Serendipity
Serendipity may be defined as "the effect by which one accidentally discovers something fortunate, especially while looking for something entirely unrelated." Pssst... You can read the full Wikipedia article here. ;-)
The "sagacity" of transparent writers to be able to link together apparently innocuous incidents, events, facts and obsrvations to come to what one may consider to be a "valuable conclusion" is part of interpersonal communication skills. You either have the gift of gab or you don't. You can't force it, you have to let it flow with your true voice and embrace your imperfections because all people have flaws and they can relate to matters of the heart (or dissenting opinions) if the voice they hear is an honest one.
Notice I did not say right or wrong. I said express yourself honestly. You, as a writer, have to learn to share a piece of yourself in such a way that you feel comfortable with the conversation while you share what ever it is you deem is interesting or important at the moment. Only you can decide to go forward with your writing project and only you can recognize the exact moment someone or something inspires you. Is it a rant or a rave that gets you started? Love your friends? Love your toys? Love food, pets, cars, travel? Obsessed about market reports? Do you attack, defend and/or support other writers? (I seem to do a little bit of it all- LOL) BTW, wanna help Candice monetize her blog by getting the virtual vote out? Bloggy-Anna does need your daily vote so why not blog-jack the re-blog button while you're voting for a stellar Rainer?
Who ever or what ever you decide to support says a lot about you. Sometimes your silence can say even more... If you are a pretender to the virtual throne people will eventually discover that as well so why not just speak with a honest voice? Why worry about keeping up with the politically correct proverbial Jones?
The thing you have to remember is you have no control of other people's reactions.You have no idea what paths the conversation will take or where the comment threads may lead. Kudos and congrats? Roast? Toast? Argument? Blog Wars? New group? Someone un-subscribing? New subscriptions? Litigation? It can go anywhere... You can go anywhere... My question to you today is are you brave enough to take that journey?
I hope so. It can be mad fun... Even when your Tomtom fails and you have to borrow a Garmin from your girlfriend, Margaret Rome (in MD) so you can get home safely to New York City because of road work and other unexpected detours (LMAO). Do you know my friggin' GPS is still waiting to find a valid satellite signal? I'm home, DumbDumb. It still doesn't know where I am... Seriously... I wiped the drive and started the download over and everything... (sigh). I love my TomTom. I want my quirky British voice telling me where to go. May have to buy a new one because I have another adventure to go on, but I digress (LOL).
You can get as silly or as serious as you want. It's your blog. You can support who ever and what ever you choose. You can advocate what ever you want. You can piss on someone's virtual grave then hug and kiss and make up later after resurrecting your cyber-relations. You can also decide to be a founder and create an ActiveRain Group so the people fascinated by your philosophy in cyber-space can gather and socialize into their own little virtual tribes to be nurtured and grown into a blogging machine hell bent on Google domination (e.g. look at Whacked and Club Chaos). If you do this well, then you will discover that other people will respond in the most surprising of ways... they will follow and have conversations with you (LOL). ;-)
The dynamics of groups interacting is what makes a network unique. Each group has it's own virtual DNA and the members associating within their structures is what makes the groups interesting. They take on a life of their own and birth other entities. For instance: What do you get when you combine BananaTude, Blogs Happen, Club Chaos, Whacked, Jacked, Cosmic Cow Pie and Happy at ActiveRain? You get The ActiveRain Gutter of course (LMAO). Think I am kidding? Apparently you haven't read the membership roll over there (LOL). Gutter Activepeeps are from those other fun, very active and sometimes controversial AR groups. Why do these groups even exist? Serendipity... They were each created because someone somewhere made that ONE comment that birthed an idea and inspired a call to action.
Who have you inspired today? How have you inspired them? Words are a sharp, two edged sword and ideas are bullets. Original content is not only king, it's your creative shield and if you are in these groups then you understand that it takes a peculiar individual to go way out on a limb into cyber-space and walk with a big blogging stick. We don't do half a$$. Even when we play... We walk our talk. Do you?
Do I blog by accident and sagacity, or am I shrewd writer pretending to be a boob? Inquiring minds want to know, which is why I get so much e-mail (LMAO). Psssst... can you keep a secret? Sometimes I do neither, sometimes I do both and on occasion I am a boob. There. I said it (LOL).
The trick of a good writer is to keep you guessing which it is. You have no idea what I am about to do next and it's distracting you... (LOL) If you can not make a person crave to know something more then you need to change your blog habits right now... May I suggest taking a road trip?
(Psssst... make sure you update your TomTom and Garmin before you leave. My maps expired on me. I didn't know they could do that. Geez... a warning would have been nice. I only drove over 1,500 miles blind - LOL)
I want to invent a GPS that says: of route recalculating... the first time, and the third time have it get pissed: "I said OFF ROUTE, DAMNIT. Pay attention to me!"
Hahahahahaaaaa! :-D
Carolyn, this post so reminds me of where you put your time and treasure is where your heart is!! Accidentally OR on purpose, only YOU have your handle on that rudder or NOT!!
Gary, very well said and I am so looking forward to quoting you (LOL). ;-)
Carolyn, I've been here at AR for over a year and I just don't know if I'll ever find my voice like you have. I am what I write but I know there's so much more. Maybe you can give me a kick in the ... when I see you in Raleigh. :)
C, My GPS seems to lose the signal whenever it is tired. I think it's napping. I gave her a name so I could wake her up but it's not working.........Glad to hear you're home safe in NY.
Darling Wordy C., welcome home crazy lady! I now know why you didn't call me from some dark corner of Virginia asking me for directions... you had Margaret's GPS! My first Lutheran pastor had the gift of gab. He would start his sermon talking about some common place thing that happened to him and all of a sudden, it would be woven into a story from the gospel. Amazing. I always told him he should get the sermons printed up as a book. Love you!
You know it's so true that we can't control where someone will take our words and go with them. I've only deleted spam comments and I've yet to feel the need to delete a post although I've wondered about the path a couple of times.
And I wonder??? Does my gift of gab show when I type???
Connie, looking forward to hanging out together. :-)
Carole, I love them until they stop working, then I get all twitchy, witchy and itchy (LOL). I hate the loss of control when the GPS goes down. I like roaming at will and visiting landmarks on the way from point A to point B. :-)
Susan, my love, I debated about calling... Debated about showing up too (LOL). ;-)
Tammy, everyone's gift of gab (and lack thereof) tends to seep through (LOL). ;-)
Hi, Carolyn. It's a good thing you were not born in a previous century; what would you do without your electronics?? LOL!
Carolyn, I think some people have the gift of gap and a great SOH, but don't know how to put this in writing. I think most Active Rain posts are good but some are very entertaining and keep your interest. and you want to come back for more.
Leslie, I would have had to invent them (LOL). ;-)
Sharon, you simply imagine having a conversation with your friends. Write as if you are talking to specific people and you wont have to think too much about it. My inner circle reads my blog so when I'm on-line I'm sharing with them. I habitually answer my e-mail, and am writing to the people who inspire the answers (LOL). Even though I am technically sharing with everyone, more often than not I am specifically answering someone. I find it's very easy to write because I am having a real conversation... :-)
Hey YOU! You do a way with WORDYS . . . I love how you write, and bring in on home! I love your GOOGLE DOMINATION!! And I would love a saucy British man in my ear hole telling me where to go! HA HA HA . . . so KEEP your mind in the gutter, and your head in the clouds -- that's how I roll!
P.S. -- Blur Minion is a doll baby!!
ROTFL @ Carla. Stephen is a Stepford Doll programmed by Noah (LMAO). That kid is a trip!!! My guy pie just stole the brokerage keys from me again (LOL). I'm going nuts trying to keep him out of my bag. He's determined to unlock the file cabinet. I think Mr PDD-NOS is going to try every single key in the house. Cute but dangerous only the way a three year old can be. :-D
C,
You are an inspiration in the letting loose category. I think I will grow up to be you someday, right now I think I am too concerned with being diplomatic, it's holdin me back I know. I have always loved to write and read what others write. It is aggravating when someone doesn't respond because they are too closed minded in their perceptions or belittle instead of discuss. It's a joy when exchange happens. You are a blessing as some of my other favorites here. To think I took so long to wander over here! This was another great blog.
Ana, thank you for the kind words, they are very much appreciated. :-) You do what ever you feel comfortable with. I didn't start out having fun but then a wonderful Rainer name Melody Botting took me under her wing and demanded I be myself. From that moment on Melodious was the boss of me and I let my hair down with my blogging buddies. I haven't looked back since (unless it's to spoof on myself - LOL). ;-)
He looks so serious. Like his Mom, eh!
I am a bit of a dimwit. Where do I go for those invitations. I have no idea what I am supposed to do with them. I go into Club Chaos and there is nothing posted. Help!
Jane, just for you I am jacking a blog (LOL). There will be a link to the par-tay at Erica's by group e-mail (LOL). For the rest of you, we're going live here tonight: http://activerain.com/blogsview/1301532/the-road-to-300-000-points-5-benefits-to-playing-in-the-rain
My Garmin maps expired a couple years ago but I still find my way. Of course, I'm not driving from state to state. And I always have my cell to call my husband who is most likely sitting in front of the computer playing Plants vs. Zombies. If I plead, he'll interrupt the game on hop on Google Maps for me.
As for my blog, I write about what I want to write about. If a person doesn't want to read it, they don't have to. I'm not holding a gun to anybody's head.
Love your photo of the minion, C. He looks so smart!
You have to love it when technology just suddenly decides to give you a middle finger and do nothing it's suppose to.
Carolyn, it just hit me...this needs to be the wildcard topic at RDU REBarCamp...transparency and honesty in blogging...that will have my vote!
Hmm... just how wild do you guys want the wild card discussion to be?
I have all kinds of suggestions being bounced off me and this one is stellar. Will Wordy C behave at REBarCamp in Durham NC? Hmm... Maybe... 51/49 are good social media odds because I might want to come back again (LOL). In case I have a Freudian slip or two I should stream this so Melodious can be the boss of me from TX and remind me to behave somewhat (LMAO). I was thinking a Skype par-tay would be fun with some of the Ambassadors (LOL). How transparent will we get? Depends upon whether my air card works or not (ROTFLMAO). Hell, my Tomtom failed me... 1500 miles and couldn't find me once... I had to wipe the drive twice, hold the start button down for 30 seconds to reboot, restore the damn thing to factory settings (lost all my info) then tap the satellite bars to put that puppy on degrees instead of minutes. Then I stood in the middle of the friggin street mumbling: Can you hear me now? Can you see me know? Can you find me now you @#$%^&* piece of ^%$#@!!! OMG - it did after I cursed it out (ROTFLMAO). Didn't I kiss that puppy like a long lost friend after it told me to circle the block to find my house while I was standing next to my apartment building. SarahGray, are you sure you want me to be transparent at REBar Camp? Seriously... :-D
JL, I swear it's like having another child. I'm trying to figure out if it is a two year old or a three year old having an electronic tantrum (LMAO).
Elizabeth, I wanted to see Lizette so bad I paid $69 for a brand new set of maps while I was in SC and it still says my maps have expired (LMAO). WTF is up with that? That is soooooo evil... :-)
LOL @ your above comment...OK, maybe not 100% transparent, let's go with 85% and maybe pick a good background color...
Hahahahahaaaaa! 85% is good. Deal. :-D
Carolyn: I agree with what Carla wrote above....blur minion is a baby doll!!!!
Jane, my handsome honey is a handful. Cute, cuddly and crazy (LOL). ;-)