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Sunday, October 16, 2011

Blood Doesn't Make A Family, Caring Does

~There is so much to aim for. So much more in reach, it seems and feels to me. The online capabilities available to each one of us, from my techno-challenged Mom in New Hampshire learning to use FaceBook to stay in touch and learning to Skype to be able to see her Grandkids all the way across the country to folks blogging for an endless number of reasons and businesses, small and large, using the internet to make their products more easily available to us all.

For me, as the Manager and Chief Bottle-Washer (no pun intended, to those of you familiar with the fact that THAT, could mean just about anything!) it fell to me to put Pioneer Outfitters into “cyber-space” as Master Guide Terry Overly of Pioneer Outfitters puts it.

At first, it was exciting for me to be able to put the photos I have taken, in the years I have been here, in the mix to be seen and appreciated. Then was the incredible feeling of accomplishment (and pride) as the website took shape. Learning even more, I see that there is way more to learn before I get too excited!

We, here in Chisana, have been having a terrible time of late, with our internet connection, so the news I have been receiving from the “outside” world comes only in small broken pieces of the whole.

I have real-life friends spread all over this great big beautiful world now. Real-life friends that I met through Social Media, who care about me and mine. Who would put the effort into finding our phone numbers and calling about my little girl when she was sick with positive thoughts, advice and prayers. All this from people who have never been in Chisana, Alaska, people who have never met me or my children in any physical sense. So the answer to one of Social Media’s big and debated questions, Are Friends You Meet Online, Real?

Yes. Yes, they are.

All the wonderful feelings and teachings I have absorbed from my explorations online have given me a pretty clear set of base-rules. In consideration for those of you that have been with me for awhile, (yes, I do tend to repeat myself!) I’ll just sum them up for you, Everything you need to know about your own behavior online, in business and in your life, you learned when you were between 4 and 6 years old. Be nice. Share. Tell the truth. Be helpful. Say you are sorry. Forgive each other. Go play.

One of my online friends (and teacher) caught my eye one morning right before I lost internet connection as well having to head back out to the field this Fall. Power Blogger Bullies Baby Blogger, Threatens Lawsuit. Wow. Shame on Power Dude. I am sure that this “Baby Blogger” will come out right where she is supposed to. I only got to read a bit of what was happening, (sheesh, what have I told you? High-school FOREVER) but Mr. Bully wont get his thrills there, I am sure. “Baby” isn’t naive, shy or ignorant of the ways of the online world or the business world. (AND she follows those pesky rules...you remember, the ones you learned in Kindergarten?)

Back to the point. Oh, the point? Life continues. Life goes on. Whether we are online or not. Whether you are having a great day...or not so much. Life just continues. So why not help someone out today? Hold the door open for that lady a half a step ahead of you, smile at that guy (he might need one- you never know), answer a tweet of someone you haven’t really taken the time to get to know, let the next car pull out onto the road ahead of you (with a smile), tell your kids you love them, run your hand over a dear one’s shoulder, shoot off a message to your mom or dad and just say “hey.”

It’s all about us. Each and every single one of us can change things, and do quite often, for someone else. Just a smile can help someone remember that life is a great gift and tough shit doesn’t last forever. We are in this together (like it or not) so we hold the power. Us, together. I think we’d make a fairly incredible team.

How about you?