Together… its one of those cuddly words that keeps you encouraged as you go through life trying new things and most of the time it makes what you are doing better, case and point, watching MST. I enjoy watching MST, but I do have some friends that add to this experience. I don’t enjoy watching MST with them, I LOVE watching MST with them. It makes the lame jokes smileable, the smileable joke laughable, and the laughable joke… well let’s just say that I’ve been known to push pause and have a little potty break due to unrelenting laughter. Together the experience is vastly better.
Together Frodo and Sam left the Shire for an adventure that be summed up only by saying, “they had a hell of a time” and not in a good way. Still, we did get three painfully long movies to enjoy as a result of them leaving the shire. Likewise, together the Goonies found One Eyed Willie. Together Igor and Dr. Frankenstein created life. And together the Emperor and Vader took control of the universe.
Hmm, ok so maybe the last two were not the best of examples, but you get the point. There are many groovy things that can happen when people start working together. In fact, one of the greatest novels of all time was the result of two brilliant authors working together. Of course I am referring to none other than Good Omens. A book that I believe everyone should own and that should be placed in hotel rooms around the world to accompany that other hotel room book. Hey, all I’m saying is that people like options. Having only one book in a hotel room is the opposite of options.
You know, I had this friend use to steal Bibles out of hotel rooms. I always found it amusingly ironic that he was so hell bent on stealing multiple copies of a book that had an entire section devoted to instructing the reader that they should not steal. I mean sure, if he had stocks in a Gideon printing press it would make at least some sense, but no… no stocks, no rhyme, no reason. Well, maybe a reason. I think he was trying to impress some girl. Ah, the youthful attempts of trying to impress someone you fancy. Interestingly enough this is the exact same equation for making oneself look a little like a jack ass… who knew.
So Chris Brogan is a bit of a community and social media guru whose blog I check out a few times a week. If you have a business, I recommend reading his blog. One of the things I dig most about him is his reoccurring message of “together”… working together, creating together, brainstorming together, etc., and how, when we work together, we can reach more people and accomplish more than if we try doing it all alone. In fact it was on his blog that I originally saw this video:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfBlUQguvyw]
Click here if you can’t see the video.
The song… eh, I’m not a huge fan, but it not openly or angrily opposed to it either. But the video, I think the video is a brilliant example of people working together to create something that for the span it takes me to watch it, makes the world a better place. One of my favorite parts of the video is when everyone who is helping with it throws up their name in from of the camera. It a simple moment, but you get to see all of these different names in different languages in different hand writing. It’s a moment that shows this collection of people from all over the world working together to create something beautiful that makes me smile. Personally, I’ve never considered me smiling to be a bad thing.
I’ve discovered one of the grooviest things about my blog is you. I’ve met a number of fabulous people so far simply by explaining what I am doing and why I want to be friends. It’s been a brilliant experience. I’ve been introduced to some new novels and authors. Some of which I’ve now read. I’ve also been reminded of a few books that definitely deserve to be reread. I’ve met a few musicians. Some of you have shared your work with me and some of it has been grand… and then some of it has been, well, something that I have been able to suggest to others that I thought might enjoy it, but that wasn’t really my style of music.
I’ve received some amazing encouragement and incredibly helpful critiques… and through this whole process I’ve met some new people who I’m getting to know via their comments and Facebook wall posting that keep making me laugh. I’ve even received some words from people that have not so much encouraged as they have offered short messages about my inadequacies as a writer. Sometimes it’s a preference thing, and in some cases it’s helped me edit and update something that needed a little work that I had overlooked. So, a thank you to them and a thank you to all of you who read, smile, smirk, and laugh… and for letting me know.
I’ve also gotten some fabulous wine suggestions and drink recipes. Bea, the caipirinha was lovely and when I get a few more mixed drink recipes together I’ll make sure I share them with everyone.
I’ve even received a few suggestions for places to post my writing to introduce it to more people. And I have met a lot of fellow bloggers and writers. One such writer, Nora B. Peevy, recently sent me link to a rather groovy online search engine tool that could assist any writer who has a goal to get published, but is not 100% sure where to start. The site is http://duotrope.com/. It’s a free site and it allows you to search via genre, theme, length, pay, etc. for places that publish the type of writing that you do. So if you are a writer, check out this site of endless possibilities for places you can submit your writing, and hopefully you can get published. It’s a dream worth having and achieving.
Thank you Nora for sharing this with me so I could pass it on to others. Nora writes dark fiction and has been published a few times already (/cheer). In fact she has a new short story coming out in the June issue of Twisted Tongue. If you dig the dark fiction genre of writing you should check out her site and read some of her work.
So feel free to share with me. I think email might work best in this case. So send me an email if you think there is something we could work on together, or if you have something you just want to share that you think deserves a Smirk commentary or side note. Even if it’s something as simple as adding a splash of strawberry basil jam on your brie cheese when eating them with crackers… which is mind meltingly nummy, which is a lot like yummy only there’s a n involved. And on the delicious scale it fits right between “yummy” and “oh my (insert deity of your choice here) that’s good.” Plus, I’m pretty sure the strawberry-basil jam brie cracker snack would have been illegal during the cold war for both inspiring creativity and making people happy. If you happen to be one of those people that hate brie cheese… let’s just begin by agreeing to disagree and leave it at that. The one thing I hate more than carrots in Jell-o is having a “Doesn’t like cheese?” Wallace and Gromit moment with someone I find to be of a rather grand.
Anyway, thanks for reading and thanks for sharing. To you writers out there, I hope that site helps you out some. I know I’ll be utilizing it.
So, what do you think?
Image Sources:
Google Images, key words: together, Good Omens, thank you, and brie and jam.
Togetherness. It works well, when there are others who believe in such a value as strongly as the one suggesting it. In the world today I have found that people more and more seclude themselves to protect what they own, hide what they value, bury what they feel incriminating and avoid what they do not understand. I think the invention of the internet has helped divide us, because its so damn easy to be something or someone you’re not. I mention this only to add a secondary point to your own observations, which I agree with, and maybe provide a means for people who fit the above mold to expand on their hermit lifestyle and interact more with people.
I am also a bit of a writing contradiction, since I am that hermit I mentioned, however, in my defense, I have been expanding further from my social rabbit hole and enjoy a good chat or two with people I do not know. Hopefully, this will lead to good people coming together with other good people to spread this wacky idea and take back what I think many people have lost…Our humanity.
Thanks for the link. And good luck to all fellow writers who are trying to get their work out to the masses. Cheers!
I see what you mean Scott. Although I think the internet has enabled people to come together much easier, but it’s true that some people feel more comfortable behind masks even if it’s a virtual one. For me, I have met and made new friends with people all over the world. Something that would have been exponentially more difficult without the “series of tubes” that is the internet. 🙂 It does allow people to become a bit more lazy in their human interactions as well. I have a friend who loves facebook because he can catch up with how all his friends are doing, but he really doesn’t have to spend an hour chatting with them if he doesn’t want to. I guess it’s kind of like the difference between calling someone and texting them.
At the same time, look at people who do on-line gaming, they might spend a lot of their free time on a computer by themselves, but they are conversing and socializing with other people doing the same, and creating and establishing friendships there. I mean sure there is always going to be that odd duck that it trying to cyber with all the female characters, but I think they are the rare exception instead of the rule.
I think it’s grand that you are a bit of a writing contradiction, i.e. a hermit who is going out and making friends. I enjoy reminiscing with people I don’t know… it does take a bit longer though. 🙂 Cheers!
please excuse my European ignorance, but what is MST? (Bet it’s something really obvious and I will feel like a total prat when I find out!) ..nice Smirk today by the way:).. Siobhan
It’s an old television show called Mystery Science Theater 3000, ofter referred to as MST3K or just MST. It’s essentially a show where you watch the a guy and his two robot sidekicks sitting in a movie theater watching really bad movies and making fun of them. I’ve actually linked a few of the shows in earlier posts. If you click on the MST3K category link it will give you the posts that I’ve done about the show. Or you can always go to youtube and do a search for MST3K and you’ll get plenty of sample options.
I will say that it is one of those shows that you either love or you don’t. I’m not sure I’ve ever met a middle ground fan. If you check it out, you’ll have to let me know what you think Siobhan. Cheers.
thanks for that Richard, it sounds like something that would make me laugh:) I will check it out..Siobhan