The Girl in the Red Rubber Boots

About Last Blog Post, and Other Things

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by

Emily Sara Smucker
in , , ,

Okay, I have a few topics to cover today. I have homework to do but I feel like doing a blog post instead, so I’ll indulge myself. 🙂

Topic #1: My Latest Blog Post

First let me say that yes, I am aware that I misspelled “obsession” as “obession” in the title of my blog post. I found it humorous and ironic, but I was kind of annoyed that, even when I fixed it on my blog, the misspelling lived a long un-fixable life on Facebook. I imagined that everyone saw it but couldn’t point it out for fear of coming across as a fake intellectual. 😀

The blog post had one of the most interesting responses I have ever received. Some of the response was expected, and some was quite unexpected.

My post perched on the edge of devaluing education and intelligence in general. I toyed with the idea of putting in lots of disclaimers about how important education is, and how I think intelligence is a worthy thing to aspire to, but in the end I didn’t because that wasn’t what the blog post was about.

I expected this to slightly bother some people who really do value intelligence, and like to read and share things that make them think. I thought I might make them paranoid that their very real aspirations to learn more would be perceived as “fake.” And I did get a little of that, though not as much as I was afraid I might.

So maybe I’ll add one disclaimer: I you are a “fake intellectual” at heart but are sharing things that are actually interesting and bring more information to the world as a whole, while being respectful to those who disagree with you, then great. I don’t like “fakeness,” but I do think good things can come from a place of fakeness. For instance, being kind to someone you don’t like.

However, things that establish your intelligence primarily by labeling an entire group of people as “stupid” have got to go.

There were, however, two very unexpected responses that pleased me immensely.

First, several people admitted that the post hit really close to home for them. I don’t think you guys understand how rare this is. We have a tendency to construct a reality around ourselves, applaud the things that fit this reality, and squirm away silently from the things that don’t. I don’t think I have EVER written something that said, essentially, “you’re doing something wrong,” and had the response be, “oh, you’re right, I am.”

In fact, I don’t know if I have ever responded this way to something I read. The things that actually change my mind usually happen from a slow chipping away at existing ideas. Or, if I do suddenly realize that I’m wrong, I don’t usually have the guts to advertise it.

The other thing that surprised/pleased me was that I got a few private messages about the post.

I’ve often wondered about how the dynamics of blogging (especially blogging about controversy) would change if the only “commenting” option were to message the author directly. Now, I know what you’re thinking. “You should just try it! Disable comments! Tell people not to comment!”

Well, the thing is, many people depend on Facebook to see my posts, and if no one comments on Facebook not nearly as many of my friends will see that I’ve even posted. Yeah, stupid Facebook algorithms. Oh well. I really do like comments, so I don’t mind.

However, private messages are also very nice. So, if you have something to say about my post that you don’t necessarily want to make open to general discussion, feel free to message me on Facebook or send me an email. But also, comment. Either one works. (Or both.)

Topic #2: Contact Information

I added a “contact” tab for that exact reason. My email address has always lurked somewhere around the blog, but I decided to lodge it in an easy-to-find location.

Topic #3: About Me

I keep clicking on the blog links of people who comment on or like my posts, and then being disappointed to find that they have little-to-no “about me” information.

Well hello kettle, my name is pot, because I also have little-to-no “about me” information. You’d think that if I’m narcissistic enough to blog about myself I’d take pleasure in constructing a lengthy essay about who I am. But it still feels weird.

Any help from you on this matter would be appreciated. How do you decide how to describe yourself? When you read the “about me” page of bloggers, what info are you hoping to find?

Comments

2 responses to “About Last Blog Post, and Other Things”

  1. Tabitha Avatar
    Tabitha

    Quite frankly, when I read someone’s about me I am trying to fit them into a category….so I’m looking for things which show who/what has influenced them. Of course, I, personally, don’t like being stuck into categories, so that is why I don’t always give that sort of information in my own descriptions. Hypocritical, I suppose.

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  2. Tiffany Avatar
    Tiffany

    Hi Emily,

    So, I have one thing to offer you- and this particular questioned suggestion would better fit under your PNW culture blog, even thought it’s not really related to that either. Back on point: It seems you like to keep the tradition in your value and or philosophical system- maybe you could write a guide to (your opinion of) proper Mennonite living? (I am not a Mennonite, nor am I religious at all- but, maybe I would be better off if I was raised to be. There seem to be many perks.)

    You don’t know me, and I don’t know you. The only ways this relates to this particular blog post is that, one) you clearly welcomed comments, and, your blog is posted on-line for anybody to respond (I hope I haven’t deleteriously taken advantage of that here), and two) perhaps I should ‘private message’ this comment.

    [ Okay, so this is only getting creepier, right? Well, just you wait 😉 ]

    Brace yourself, an alarm might sound with it being now known that I have stalked you on-line 😦

    I first saw you at LB and thought, she looks really friendly, and seems to keep to herself kind of like me. Then I learned your name after my boyfriend mentioned you as being one of the girls he had the pleasure of getting to know at LB. He told me that if I wanted friends, Emily would be a good one; she is a really good person. So then it went like this- I clicked on your facebook account after you had liked Stephen Gibbel’s relationship status update. However, somehow in conversation, Stephen told me that your kind would strongly dislike somebody like me. Fair. But, it made me just want to get to know you that much more, but this time with a hint of jealousy as my motivator; shameful (D:). So, then I stumbled upon your blogs and began reading them. Forget the mention of jealousy, it’s not like that; I am intrigued, largely by your culture; respectable.

    Emily’s fascination with the study of Culture is Tiffany’s interest in the study of Life Values.
    I am not really religious at all, but, I do yearn to learn about life values that exist within the wide array of religious and non-religious cultures. Perhaps I am interested in studying life and learning the prosperous psychology of life, living and loving. I want to know about the real life implications among different values in modern living. What are the commonalities between religious-religious, non religious-non religious, and religious-non religious cultures/values therein? This question is largely motivated my by desire to build a safe place for my family and friends, so that I can have both someday.

    With school and work, I don’t really have time right now to build my compilation of research for my life practice, but, I have picked up Benjamin Franklin’s Almanac, and his related works. Perhaps I am a “fake intellectual” because I am choosing to write about my readings before I read them. I just think I am impatient. I am impatient because I plan to read these skeptically and analytically, with intent to learn how to write a modern day almanac. However, I have much research to do; All of the data isn’t in my brain. I need to reach out, and for the anticipated words of the wise, I am intrigued by your value system, and dream of interviewing you as part of my research. Now, now, my brother seems to believe that if I write or talk about things, the less inclined I am to just do them because writing or talking about things I want to do will fulfill a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. I really hope this isn’t true, but while there is *some* truth in that for me, I like to believe that writing about things is essential for success, at least for those who like to put their life into words. You are the writer here, what is your opinion? What are the many purposes for writing? I have a few in mind, but I am curious about yours.

    Woah- and so cool- I just learned about the existence of a reverse dictionary. Perhaps there are others that are better, but, I used Onelook.com

    I fear seeing you at OSU now, maybe I shouldn’t press “post comment” for all my vulnerability to cause a possible continuance of awkward feelings unto you. But, we are both human, and emotional females with positive resilience to many things (hoping that silent, followed by an alarmed admiration is one of those things), so, I am just going to take the chance that something good could come from this risk.

    Wishing you wellness 🙂

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