This post is part of my 29 Days of Giving Campaign. You can see the rest of the posts in this series here.
Have you ever been in the middle of doing something and, when you pause for a moment and think about what you're doing, can't quite believe it's you? I had a moment like that today.
A few weeks ago, a friend asked if I would come to a group she belongs to and answer a few questions about blogging and social media. I envisioned a few moms who might not understand how to start a blog, or how to find and keep up with blogs they're interested in.
Instead I found myself in front of about 10 people, of mixed age and gender, with notebooks ready to learn everything I could tell them about social media. Could I please cover facebook-twitter-bloggging? In 45 minutes? I had a mini panic attack inside, took a deep breath, and then suggested we start small. As in, how about I walk you through how to set up a facebook account and manage your privacy settings?
And so that's what we did for the next hour. Shortly after I left, I got a text from my friend saying that everyone loved what I did, and could I come back again in a few weeks and tackle a new topic? And it's so funny to me, because I've never really been the "go-to" person for anything. Well, except maybe for tacos and donut shop recommendations. But I'm not sure I should be in the business of bragging about that.
Today I Gave: My time (and dare I say talent?) to a group of people who needed some help getting this bizarro world of social media figured out. Was I doing them a huge favor by teaching them the world's biggest time-suck facebook? I don't know. But I do know what it's like to feel like everyone is in on something that you can't quite grasp. I think there's value in learning a tool, whether it's productive or not, that makes you feel a part of something. I think there's value in helping someone get comfortable with an application so that they don't feel like the last person on the planet that doesn't understand it. Don't worry, though. I was sure to tell them there's absolutely no value in Farm Town or Mafia Wars.
Today I Received: The honor of being mentioned as one of a group of women that are "all sorts of awesome" by one DesignHer Momma. I first met Emily at Blissdom in '09. She was the first local blogger I ever met, and she welcomed me into a larger group of Indy bloggers. She's kind, she has super-cool funky style, she appreciates a good beer and good cured meat, and she lets this suburban girl live vicariously through her urban lifestyle. I'm blushing, for sure.
Katy@ThoughtForFood says
Hey, when you’re done with all your SM classes, could you come teach me how to use a smart phone?
Emily Elling - designHer Momma says
privacy settings on Facebook….tell me more.
Love ya girl, let’s have a beer soon.
Angie Six says
You're not going to give that smart phone up without a fight, are you?!