My Worlds, Revisited.

It's time to check in on some previous posts:

It's A Small World.

The last day of November I posted about my 2 year anniversary on Twitter. I mentioned tribes I joined and tribes into which I was adopted. The first tribe that adopted me was Hollis Thomases #HTArmy (I've never seen the reference without the hashtag) and being new to Twitter at the time, I have a special fondness for the first group to include me. So, I'm reading Gary Vaynerchuk's "The Thank You Economy" (my plans for 2012 include reading and reviewing a book a month and this is my first selection) last night and on page 96 Vaynerchuk gives an example of social media influencing business, involving Rachel Levy, a Boston marketing and social media professional. I know Rachel as @bostonmarketer from the #HTArmy (yup, the hashtag is a must). I haven't connected with Rachel since last Movember when she was sporting a great Movember 'stache. I thought it was cool to see Rachel in the book. It also gave my a reminder to put her blog in my reader and say, Hi Rachel.

It's A Sick World.

I have posted twice about the morass of amorality that is the Penn State football program with a third post being drafted. That third post was questioning the lack of criticism from athletic officials of other universities because Penn State was enabling child rape. I understand "Those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones", but what is going on in a university glass house that stops officials from throwing stones at enablers of child rape? Sadly, I have my answer. Syracuse Univeristy has the same problem as Penn State. ESPN is also equally comfortable with abusers of children. ESPN sat on a phone call confession tape from the child abuser's wife for 9 years. As brought up by Chicago sports talkers Boers and Bernstein, ESPN is owned by Disney. My moral outrage amplifier is so far beyond eleven I can barely hear myself think.

It's A Wonderful World.

I posted in early November about social media go-getter Margie Clayman taking some time away from social media. Some really bad things had happened in Margie's SM world and the joy of SM had gone away for Margie. I haven't asked Margie, so what follows is merely conjecture: Margie appears to have found her response to the bad. Margie's posts on her blog and at 12 Most all center on the good that can be accomplished through social media. Margie seeks out the good in the world anyway, so that makes her recent series of posts double good. Take some time to read Margie's latest posts. It's time well spent.

Finally, thanks for spending a few minutes reading my little blog. Feel free to use the comment section as your personal podium. We're heading towards the winter holidays. Enjoy the beauty of the season.

ROL: Take A Moment To Make Someone's Day.

ROL (Return On Life) is about engaging in small incremental changes that can have a large positive impact on living life. It is a non-quantitative adaptation of the financial measure ROI (return on investment). This week's ROL is about how small amounts of time can really add up.

Mark E. Andersen, Posted on Daily Kos

August 9, 2011 was the date of 6 recall elections in Wisconsin.

It was also the the 37th anniversary of Richard Nixon's resignation.

And the 52nd anniversary of my appearance on this planet.



When I opened my computer August 9th, I had 6 birthday shouts on my Facebook wall. By the time I had given each one a short thank you, there were three more "Happy Birthdays". I made up my mind to answer those three and then close the computer.

Later that day, there were a few more birthday hellos on Facebook. My @mentions on Twitter also had multiple birthday messages, many generated via the most incredible connector,  Sima Dahl (Twitterphobes, please skip the rest of this sentence) tweeting my birthday status to my wonderful friends in the #HT Army. At this point in the day, I decided to hold off answering until later that night.

I finally got the kids off to bed and spent some time with Gracie the wonder beagle. I made a cup of green tea and sat down to acknowledge the birthday wishers. Over an hour later, with 1/2 hour left to my birthday I closed my computer and went to bed. In all I had responded to 30 birthday greetings via Facebook and Twitter.

I was floored. My Facebook friends number less than 100, yet I had spent almost 2 hours that day thanking people for remembering me on my birthday. I got shouts from family, new friends (some that I've never met) and old friends going back to kindergarten. I heard from both coasts, got three messages from friends in Israel and even heard from my 1st crush.

I realize Facebook makes it very easy to remember birthdays. I also know it doesn't take very long to say "Greetings and Birthday Wishes" in it's many variations. Still, these little wishes helped me remember all the people that have made my life special and the good times we have shared. And yes, since it was my birthday it made me feel ... significant. Yup, I felt great and it didn't take more than a minute or two from my friends. See what a minute can do.

Has anyone made you feel great with just a moment of your time? Have you been the precipitator of good feelings with little effort on your part? How can these examples be incorporated into daily life?