Twitter

So, you think you want to start "Twittering".

Let me tell you, it is not the start of a social life you never had. I had been pretty holed up for the last couple of years. Mostly my own doing but I was socially dead non the less. I had been fairly social in the town I had been living in until I moved to Phoenix at the beginning of 2007. My life changed rather dramatically, well that may be strong, but it did change. I moved for several reasons and they were all good. I was in a rut, I wanted to be near family, etc. My job kept me pretty isolated in that most employees were out in the "field" while I manned the office. I also worked for family so there was one opportunity for meeting different people kind of gone. My financial situation was not as rosy as my expenses went up with the move. It is hard to meet people in Phoenix when you are single, awkward and light in your wallet.

Then I had some new opportunities come my way. I decided to go back to school and completely change my career. I felt too old to go to school to be a nurse and not able to afford the schooling it would take, so I decided in to try the exciting field of back office work in a medical office. I am currently enrolled and enjoying it. The other thing was I needed a job that would be compatible with my hours, but I am getting way ahead of myself.

In between my previous job and school I had a couple months where I was no more than an at home consultant. Fancy words, but true. I found Facebook. I had never done any social networking and I was at a loss. But I slowly developed some Facebooking skills, found some old friends from my high school (and even earlier) days and started dong a little networking. That's right. I was in contact with my buds from my small town and I was feeling pretty good. More social than I had been in years. I was addicted to Facebook. Games, quizzes pictures and chatting.

Then someone on Facebook mentioned Twitter. I had no real concept, I didn't even have texting capabilities on my phone. Hell, I had only gotten a cell phone in 2003 I think. I was disdainful. Who feels they need to be connected like that. Who is so important that people needed to know they were walking down any particular street, thinking any particular thought, at any particular time? Really?

I decided to stay working for family as it would suit for school hours and I went into a manual labor job to get me through school. I started school in early March and I still had Facebook. School opened up another door for me socially. I was in a classroom with the same people for 4 hours a day. After a few weeks I started making some good friends. Social butterfly, that was me.

So now, I had a job with real people around me, Facebook and school. I almost was suffering from social overload and looked forward to the few days I did not have to be around people. Then I decided that due to school and the people, I should have texting abilities as this seemed a pretty common mode of contact for my peers. So, why fight it? I got text. Within the week I was on Twitter. Facebook who? I learned the ins and outs of Twitter pretty quickly. It was sink or swim, I was the only person I knew that was on Twitter and actually using it. I had no guidance from loving friends or family. There were a few who said, "oh, yeah, I have an account, I have no idea how to work it." So I slowly started following people. I enjoyed Redeye w/Greg Gutfeld on Fox News Channel and they seemed active. I started there. Started following Andy Levy, Greg Gutfeld and eventually even Bill Schulz. For the Twitter savvy that would be @andylevy @greggutfeld and @billschulz. From there I started following people they were following and then people started following me back! People I did not know. the pressure to perform was immense. I had people to amuse and interest and I was not amusing nor was I particularly interesting. But I wanted to participate so I set out to become amusing.

I have started reading books on politics. I have become more active about reading peoples blogs. I try to think of profound and witty things to say. I look for those interesting bits of news to pass on. I even learned how to use websites like tinyurl.com so I could post long web addresses without them being so long. I created goals. I wanted people following me. Soon I started worrying about offending or boring my followers. I wanted to post "tweets", but not too many to be aggravating. I wanted to attract certain followers, but how? All of the sudden Twittering became high school and all the popularity trials and tribulations that went with it. Some people only followed the "in" crowd. I wanted to be in that crowd. How did people on Twitter know I was a desperate loser and they wouldn't let me in? My self worth became synonymous with who would or would not follow me. (Do you hear me @andylevy?)

So I have been Twittering for 3 weeks now and I am addicted. I admit it. I am talking to people that I have no idea who they are, what they look like or what they do for a living. I can find people who are in the know about every subject under the sun, although I notice that politics is a hot topic. My self worth issues are still a problem because I doubt myself. But these are my issues, not Twitter's. If I had my choice over would I have started this social network. Facebook even? I think yes. I need to find the line that keeps me focused on work and school and let Twitter and Facebook be a spice that makes my life more fun. Not taken to seriously. I gain followers everyday. I lose followers everyday. I try and follow those that follow me, but there always seems to be a discrepancy in numbers. That's okay. I am always on the look for new people that are interesting to me. I have found a few by the way. @seanboudreau and @JHSty. Theses guys are the bomb and don't seem to busy to answer back. For every dick there are 5 to help and be nice. I may decide to cull my list of people I follow, to help me along in my self esteem project but I am not sure it will hit the target I would be aiming for. In other words, they won't notice and if they DID notice, they would not care. Such is life and we need to move on. create my own fabulousness, even if I am the only one that notices.