throwback thursday - why network?

throwback Thursday photo-op (with absolutely no relevance to the post): March 2011

I'm rarely not thinking about ways to connect with people. I think it's just kind of part of who I am intrinsically. I dig people and their stories, drawing them into sharing who they are. But before I start to sound too philanthropic or altruistic, you should know I think about it way more than I act on it. It takes more effort than I'm willing to put in most days. Adding another layer to this in the interest of full-disclosure, sometimes the desire to make certain connections is fueled by selfish and self-serving reasons. Whether for the benefit of myself or someone else, I think about making connections with folks a lot.

I think we all want to be connected up and sharing life. I'm certainly no different. For Throwback Thursday here today, I'm sharing a post from April 2011 entitled "Why Network?". It reads to me as truly as if I wrote it all right now (I think I may say that on every throwback post, but so far it's true). The more I write and stay involved with this blog, the more thoughts of connecting, networking, building a broader reader base, branding, getting traffic to here all rolls around in my head right alongside trying to remember to write because it's something that fundamentally makes me come to life whether one other person reads it or not. I don't want to twist it and contort it into something marketable but lacking genuine heart, but I confess I want to be read. I think I have things to say; not always brilliant things or life-changing things or posts that go viral. But I have things to say.

Today, I really am thankful for my network, my connections to people I know and love or am learning to know and love. I'm thankful that so far I've shrugged off the magnetic pull towards gimmicks that would diminish the heart of why I write. It's a joy to write here and icing on my big ol' cake that people read and comment.

Why Network?

If you're reading this, chances are more than good that you got invited to this corner of the blogosphere through NetworkedBlogs on facebook.  If you're reading this, I'll go ahead and say thanks for that.  Really.

Sending out an oodle of requests to my friends asking them to read my blog felt something a little less than comfortable.  I mean, self-promotion is not a characteristic I aspire to be known for.  It's awkward and mis-readable; it can look like braggadocio and sales-pitch-y.  Every time I sent out a batch of requests inviting - well, YOU - to the blog I thought, "Don't send them this.  What do they care?  Move on already."

Can you tell I'm not a salesman?  But that's fine since I've got nothing I'm trying to sell.

Here's the deal; it doesn't get easier to stay connected these days.  That's insanely ironic since our ability to connect is huger than ever in so many mediums.  But it isn't always easy.  If you are here - "networked" into this blog - I am so thankful because this is at least one way for me to "connect" with you in something more than my meager attempts at glib, witty facebook statuses.  I don't know if that will be good news to you.  You may not give a rip about the things that I have written or will write about here.  I get that.  I really do.  And if you don't and you "un-network" from here, I'll live and love you anyway (I'm not a self-promoter, but I'm also not easily offended).  But I have winnowed down my facebook list - numerous times - to consist of the people that mean something to me; you were and are my friends from school, or my teachers; my pastors or my youth leaders; you're extended family or people that I am just getting to know.  In some way our lives legitimately connected at some point, and the invitation extended to you is my way of moving that forward a bit.

It's just a blog.  Sometimes it's just nonsense or irrelevant or silly or too serious.  But it's my life now as I know it.  And I want to share it.  I don't want to grand-stand or show-boat.  I just want to stay connected.  I want to hear from you.  I want your comments as points of contact and not to stroke an ego.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.  Thanks for reading.