Category Archives: Blogher

An Ass full of Sunshine

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Attending a conference with nearly 99% of one gender is almost crazy really.  There’s a reason man was created and I believe that reason is balance.   Having gone to this conference last year, I was better equipped to deal with some of the off balance threads that seem to weave themselves into an event like this.  I was able to be myself and not engage or involve with things that did not fit within the framework of my own being.   If you met me, then I hope you sensed this.  Oh, and regardless of what you saw, I was not drunk once at this conference. 

Shocking right?   Like I say, I’m a bit much for most.  Well, and loud but that’s a different story.

I’m an outgoing social person and I don’t have any of the social afflictions that seem to dominate an event like this.  It’s hard to know sometimes when someone is having a social “issue” or just not being as welcoming and gracious as you would like them to be.  This struck me the most when I received the following comment from a group of 4 women.  They met me in the hallway and we were talking and just having plain good conversation and one of them said:

“Thanks for being nice”

Now, I had heard other comments like “You’re taller than I thought” or “Wow, you’re clean” but none of them struck me like this one did.

I can’t help but wonder if the person who was possibly not nice to them even knew.  Did they have anxiety and forgot to take their meds, are they just socially awkward, or really were they just not very nice.  Is it possible that someone I met left feeling that I wasn’t nice?  I cringe at the thought of that.  

I do know it’s hard to have sunshine blowing out your ass at an event with over 3,000 women with the squealing, lights, chaos, walking, walking, walking, no meat eating, and vendors throwing packets of kudos bars at your head nonstop.  I know because my ass was holding a lot of sunshine to blow and even I may have been near empty a few times

If you share these social afflictions it might be even harder to read if they were also awkward, out of sorts, missing their kids, needing more meds, out of sunshine, needing a kudos bar to the head because the buffet clearly was not serving steak.  Again.  I‘ll never know what the other side of the story was.  I can only control myself and try to learn from every experience. What I do know is that if I’m in a group of 3000 women and if even one of them recognizes me and expresses admiration?  That’s a gift that I’m going to do my damndest to blow sunshine at. 

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Things I’m NOT doing for Blogher

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I’m not trying to lose weight.  I’m not.  I briefly thought about it in March and then quickly consumed a Chocolate Long John.   The size I am is the size I am.  Hope you can accept that.

 

I’m not trying to over-promote myself.   I appreciate that some people use their blogs as a platform or as a career.  I’m not.  For me it’s a hobby and not even on my top 5 list of hobbies.  I love meeting the people behind their blogs.  The people are my draw.  I’m not there to try to win brands over so I can review some window steam cleaner.   Steam cleaners don’t make me smile.  Ever.

 

I’m not changing my blog before I go.  I know some people are spiffing theirs up, changing things around, making it more visual appealing.  Again, I think that’s great.  It’s just not me.  What you see here is what you’ll get on any average day. 

 

I’m not setting up posts before I go.  Let’s be honest, I’m not known as the “frequent poster” anyways.  Why start now. 

 

I’m NOT getting a haircut.  After what happened last year?  Lesson learned.

 

I’m not buying clothes that aren’t me.  Last year I got caught up in some of the hype.  I have 2 dresses that I haven’t worn since then.  Though I may buy a few things, they’re going to fit into my everyday life.  I’m also not buying clothes that require under garment bondage.   Between praying to the latex gods that they aren’t rolling up on my thighs to having bathroom fights with them every time I pee?  No thanks. 

 

I’m not going with a closed mine.  I will meet people from all walks of earth.  Each of them has a story.  Their story is important.  If I get to hear a few new ones this year, I’ll be the lucky one.

 

 

Help me because I’m lazy

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If you’re on any social media this time of year then you know that Blogher is coming up. This is a blogging conference that attracts bloggers big and small. 3K of them. That’s a lot of people who like to get their geek on. When going to such a large event, many try to stand out and make it their own. Some do it with fashion or hair color. Most do it with business cards.

Last year I wasn’t going to bring business cards. I didn’t even have a blog when I registered so really had nothing to advertise on them. I was and am mostly a tweeter so instead of bringing blog cards, I brought twitter business cards.

I made 200 last year and came back with 195. Maybe if I had a better card more people would want one.

Since I more or less feel the same way, I think I’ll stick with this concept.

Except I need a new tag line.

Last years was LAME.

I came up with a few:

@TheNextMartha: Because my blog sucks

@TheNextMartha: Blogging is hard yo

@TheNextMartha: Where you can find quantity over quality

@TheNextMartha: 140 is about all I’m good for

So there are a few options, but really I’m open to suggestions.

That’s where you come in.

If you come up with a line that I like better than any of the above? I will make my cards that way.