Bloggers, Remember This on Christmas Eve
December 24, 2008 · Print This Article
I’ve shared this quote on Twitter before, but since I have many more blog readers than Twitter followers (and there may be very little overlap), you may not have seen this one. It’s important, though, especially for those of us who like to spend a lot of time in the blogosphere.
Now, with Christmas here and the New Year just around the corner, many of us naturally think a little more about what really matters to us and how we spend (and want to and should) spend our time.
This quote from the October 2008 issue of GQ Magazine reminds us to keep things in the right perspective. It came in the context of how a gentleman should use technology, Facebook, blogs, MySpace, YouTube, and other online social media.
Here goes:
“Your virtual presence is always smaller than your actual presence in the lives of people you are really friends with.”
No matter how important someone (or perhaps we think we are) may seem in the blogosphere, the reality is most of us have family and friends we interact with in person regularly. Some not so regularly–but we probably should spend more time with these folks as well.
In other words, as fun (and potentially important) as online social media is and can be, the people that we will most likely have the richest and most fulfilling relationships with are those we’ll be spending the holidays with.
After all, it’s the people we live near who will give us a ride back from the car shop once we drop off ours to get repaired. It’s those same people who will keep an eye on our house when we’re out of town on vacation. It’s those people who generally deserve most of our time and interaction.
The Men With Pens, James and Harry, announced they’re taking a break from blogging until the first week of the New Year. Their reason?
“[S]ince our families and friends have been so patient with us throughout the year, we feel they deserve our attention during the holiday season.”
Sounds like a wise approach to me.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.
P.S.
This is a cool, informative, short read on who Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus) actually was in real life.
I know you’ve been a big proponent of keeping real life in perspective when working in a virtual world, so this support (and your post) means a great deal.
Thanks, Jesse, and best wishes to you this year.
James Chartrand - Men with Pens’s last blog post..We’ll Be Back on January 5, 2009
James,
Glad you appreciate it. You guys are the pros.
Best wishes to you as well.
Our responsibility is to those around us, before it is to those on the interweb. Prioritizing is important. I agree.
Thanks for an important reminder to all of us who spend significant portions of our lives in a virtual universe.
Spent some time today - Christmas day - just “being” with my family, long after the gifts were opened. Left the laptop sitting quietly, cover latched, for hours.
We played a round or two of Quiddler (look it up, it’s fun!), shared some home-made fudge, took a drive, made some calls - and forgot all about blogs and writers and keywords and such for a while.
Hope you and those you love are having a wonderful holiday, Jesse. Wishing you peace, love, joy, friendship and prosperity this holiday season and throughout the New Year.
~Jim
Jim Bessey’s last blog post..Product reviews: SanDisk slotMusic™ player, “beyond MP3″
This is so true. Recently I made it a rule not to do any blogging or social e-mailing when family members were at home and awake. I don’t follow this rule perfectly, but generally. It’s so easy to get wrapped up with our computers we can miss so much of life.
Thanks for the reminder…
Chris’s last blog post..So Many Ways to Tell the Gospel During the Christmas Season…
Bamboo,
Good statement–I agree with you.
Jim,
Sounds like you had a great Christmas Day. I went about the past 24 hours with almost no Internet use, caught up with family and church, food and fun. It’s definitely where life is most fulfilling, I say.
I will look up Quiddler. And Happy New Year to you, too.
Chris,
You’re welcome. Your statement:
“It’s so easy to get wrapped up with our computers we can miss so much of life,”
is also very true.
I’m reading Dickens’ Christmas Carol–have been the past few days–and that story is a great reminder of these things as well.
The book is also much richer in detail (and funnier) than any of the movie versions I’ve seen.
Really recommend it.
on Christmas dont blog, just have a happy family dinner..
We spend so much time creating customers, we often to forget to create the family life that we want. Our customers will just have to learn to live without us over the holidays.
“Advertising isn’t a science. It’s persuasion. And persuasion is an art.” -William Bernbach
Mind Control’s last blog post..Using Hypnosis To Control The Mind Of Your Customers
I feel guilty sometimes working way too much and spend less time with my two kids. Sometime i just stare in the wall and think what the hell am i doing sitting here working at 8pm when I could be home watching my kids grow and play with them. You only live once and gotta use the time wisely.
MMAKillen’s last blog post..UFC 100