For the second time in just as many days, I scribbled a strange man’s phone number onto a sticky note and ventured out to meet him for coffee. But this time, it wasn’t a date.
This was academia.
I had nearly let this man’s email fall into the slush pile of my inbox unanswered, but Ari had already met with him, deemed him not a psycho and vouched for the legitimacy of his project. So, I went. I was very curious about what I would have to add to the research of someone from the BlahBlah School of … Economics.
My blog could have less to do with economics, but that would be pretty tricky. I mean, it’s pink, for god’s sake. I only passed Econ by flirting and my checking account zeros out on a regular basis. But fortunately for both of us, his project focused on the sociality of blogging.
Social? I dig social. On with the questions!
For the next hour, I got to talk about… myself (a topic I’m very comfortable with), my blogging friends and neighbors (ditto) and blogging as journalism (something I’ve thought about but never really discussed).
A lot of us in this nerdy little community of web writers either wanted to be journalists or still want to. I know I went to college with that intention, but came out with a degree in Spanish and ended up in a corporate cell. Saying I’m a blogger may be as close as I come to saying, I’m a writer. Maybe I do this so I don’t feel like I gave up writing entirely. Maybe I do it to have a place to bitch about boys. Or to meet people.
Can’t wait to read this guy’s paper to find out the answer to that.
Very excited to read that one!
Posted by: Paul Gutman at July 13, 2004 01:17 PMI believe I heard from this same fellow as well. But since I'm no longer in your part of town, I wasn't a desirable candidate. *sniff*
Wish I could make it to the girly gathering. I would have totally made cupcakes!
Posted by: Lady Crumpet at July 13, 2004 01:23 PMBlogging neighbors... wait - you discussed me?! Yikes! *lol* Nice guy though - eh? Glad you enjoyed it. We're so well versed on talking 'bout ourselves, ain't we? *giggle*
Posted by: Ari at July 13, 2004 01:40 PMAs a happily retired newspaper and newsletter reporter and editor who got a real life job in the wonderful world of corporate lobbying (I feel so clean!), may I say that you did not miss much by missing journalism. Lousy pay, lousy hours, bitchy readers, stupid editors, moronic ad salesmen wanting "a little story" for "a real good advertiser," blah-de-blah. Still, I fell for the romantic ideal of it, too, and remained for many years after cynicism set in, so I understand.
Posted by: Michael at July 13, 2004 03:03 PMI also went to college with the (vague) idea of becoming a writer and/or journalist and ended up leaving with a degree in Spanish. But I am not in a corporate cell; neither am I a worldbeater like yourself.
Posted by: Michael R at July 13, 2004 03:39 PMYes, journalism...I, too, have been a part of that world, albeit on a teeny, tiny scale. If I'd had to report on one more miserable city council meeting I'd have poked my eyes out.
I wish I'd had a blog back then...ah, the stories. :)
Posted by: Erin at July 13, 2004 03:41 PMOh, Erin, darling, I refuse to set foot in a city hall, a police station, a fire house, or any government building not on the back of our national currency. My kisses and tears to you!
{sorry, fish! it's a family thing}
Posted by: Michael at July 13, 2004 04:52 PMI gave up journalism (and teaching writing) because of the irresistable lure of smelly, dirty, wonderful, dependable corporate money (I'm a communications editor now).
Blogging is a yummy way to spend your time.
Posted by: Erika at July 13, 2004 10:22 PMI know I'm glad to have stumbled upon the blogging community. Living 900 miles away from my family and friends, it's given me an outlet of self expression.
Posted by: Smitty at July 14, 2004 02:29 AMI too went off to University with the intention of becoming a writer or journalist and ended up
...an accountant, working for one of the largest "cartels" in the world. Yikes!
Thank God for blogs - when I get that itch to express, its a good place to do it (because waxing poetically during a performance measurement meeting gets you nothing but silence and odd stares - I know...)