What kind of "Blogger" are you?

It’s April Fools Day and nothing says April Fools like a fresh blog post. I’ve been taking a long time in between posts and I was beginning to feel bad about that, but then I realized what kind of “blogger” I am.

You see, in my opinion, there are three different types of bloggers. The first type is the “self-important bloggers;” these people blog, Twitter, update Facebook and basically type their fingers off every day. They see themselves as entertainers. Often they are humorous or highly opinionated and if you look closely you can see the definite outline of their ego on everything they touch—not that it’s a bad thing. I've had many a long discussion with my good friend Justin and my girlfriend Dawn about how ego is a central theme in social media. Twitter, Facebook, 4-Square all run under the guise that you are important and entertaining enough for complete strangers to follow throughout the day. Ok, that sounds a bit harsh, but it’s not meant to be. I consider social media just another creative outlet or art-form. I think that being relevant, creative, and entertaining in 140-characters or less is challenging and I respect those that can do it. They are talented in a way that really cannot be taught and really isn’t that what art is all about; talent and ego?

Alright, now the next blogging style is the “dam bloggers”, not to be confused with “those damn bloggers”, which is likely something you’d hear at an AP News convention. What I like to call “dam bloggers” are creative people who have enough fresh ideas to blog, tweet, and spew social media creativity everyday, but they are too busy, unmotivated, or indifferent to do so. What happens to them is they wait until their reservoir of ideas/opinions is full and then they spew all of them onto blog pages, twitter feeds, or Facebook updates. This usually results in either a quick and heavy burst of social media posts or just one really, really long blog post. I think this is probably the most common type of “blogger” or social media user. In this case, these individuals need a creative outlet, but not everyday. They have no real aspirations at making money via social media or even being known for their social media use. They just like to occasionally express themselves and be social and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s a lot like the term “social drinker”-- it’s somebody who likes to go out and have fun, but not necessarily every night. I’d try to dub the term “social blogger,” but that might get too confusing.

Then there is the final type of social media user. I like to call them the “peer pressure bloggers.” These folks have a blog because everyone else they associate with has a blog. They could also be referred to as “apathetic bloggers.” In a lot of cases, they get the whole “idea” behind blogging and they might even be amazing, creative, insightful writers, but they are missing the level of ego that is needed to be a prolific social media producer/creator. They don’t understand why their voice would matter or if anyone cares about what they would have to contribute. They use social media more as a communication tool than a resource. They use Twitter only with their close friends and Facebook is really just a giant rolodex for their friends and family. Like I said before, this isn’t wrong, it’s just different and that’s what makes social media so confusing and great at the same time. Social media is an art-form and a tool; it’s the “Adobe Creative Suite” of communication devices. There are right and wrong ways to use social media, depending on your desired outcome, but you won’t know if you don’t try. These folks try, but the art of it, really isn’t in their blood. Even so, they can be an important part of the community. As the saying goes, “the world needs ditch diggers too.”

Now, back to my realization of what kind of blogger I am…well, I’m a mixture of type number two and three, with enough ego for a handful of number ones. Lucky for me social media is big enough for all of us.

I'm 32 and nearly 1/2-way there...

I turned 32 this month. There isn’t really anything special involved in turning 32. In fact, most of my birthday milestones have been reached. When I turned 12, I could go hunting and, in Bedford County, that’s a big deal. I got to drive at 16, get drafted and vote at 18, drink at 21, I could rent a car at 25 and at 30, well… I was 30.

People rarely associate any significant milestone with the age of 32. By 32 most of us have had a “real job” and we have usually figured out where we are in life. At 32 we aren’t quite yet middle aged and we still have memories of being thin and in shape. Most of the time 32 is just a place holder, another year to work, eat, breathe, and sleep. Not me. In my 32nd year, I have thought of something that should be celebrated. It is a goal that those of us who pray at the "Temple of Lazy" eagerly anticipate. In February of this, my 32nd year, I will have a celebration. This celebration shall be known as “my half way to retirement party.” That’s right, it’s a party entirely devoted to the celebration of being half way to 65.

Now, before I hear a politically charged argument that social security won’t be around then, just wait a second, this is an anticipation celebration. I don’t want realism, I want to dream. In this dream, I will have saved enough to retire, I will get my social security checks and I won’t be popping pills like Pez to stay alive. This is simply celebrating the anticipation of freedom—of course I use that term loosely, as in all likelihood I will be at the beck and call of some needy family member, like my parents are. In this dream I am free to roam the country and do whatever my heart desires or my income allows. If my fellow dreamers want to follow me and also have a ½ Way to Retirement Party here is all you have to do:

1. Get 65 gray balloons (black is reserved for 40th Birthday or actual retirement parties)
2. Have a cake in the shape of a RV
3. Wear a youthful shirt, but sensible pants and sandals (the law states that sandals and socks can only be worn when one truly retires)
4. Drink heavily and print out your 401K projections for the year 2041
5. End the night by printing a copy of your resume and storing it until 2041, at such time you will read it out loud and then burn it ceremoniously.

I think I might have started a trend here. If Hallmark starts printing cards for this, please let me know, because I’ll cash in and celebrate with a ¾ Way to Retirement Party.