Walled Communications: Who Am I Here?

After writing here and on twitter about my granddaughter who was in the hospital in Pediatric Intensive Care. I got wonderful feedback and very supportive comments.

Following up, the diagnosis is that Emma has Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome which causes her heart to beat erratically from time to time. She has been stabilized on beta blockers and will be closely monitored. Thanks for asking and for caring.

There's a lot in life that's not easily classifiable

The reason I touch on this again is that we're people after all, and we - not to mention life - do not fit easily into nice little cubbyholes. At least my life never has.

In the late fifties I was asking neighborhood kids to find out whose mom would pay a quarter a week for me to teach them some basic baton lessons in my side yard. Was I having neighborhood conversations, kid conversations, business conversations?

I didn't pay any attention. I was helping someone else, helping myself, learning abut life, having fun, getting to know someone better and exploring, Communicating. Creating. Dreaming.

It was all about people and interacting and life.

Later I sold art to and created logos for people I knew. Then they would tell other people and I'd often meet and network with or do work for them. Or I'd meet someone at my date's golf tournament, my son's soccer game, on a PTA Board, and make a new contact.

Were these business connections? Friendships? Mom-connections? Consulting connections? Art connections?

I didn't know and I still don't.

In my world the topics of people and interaction and connecting and community do not have barriers between then. It seems artificial to act as if there are.

Yes, I hear the grumbling. "she tweets about her cancer treatments, not information we need," "there are thousands of babies sick right now."

Fact is though that not talking about new baby issues in a blog that is after all about life and the connections and relationships we make - and whatever else this blog is about - seems as artificial as only interacting with Second Life people in Second Life, or not mentioning my cat or my artwork or whatever else affects mine - or someone else's life.

And I think we learn something about business through learning about living, and learn something about community by caring about our neighbors' babies. And the list could go on.

The aspects of many of our lives are as permeable as those membranes we did experiments on in biology class.

Hard wiring, life-view, whatever you want to call it, that's how it works for me to function effectively in the world. I can't dissect myself into multiple little pieces.

Starting Boobs on Ice was an attempt to deal with my cancer experience but even that spills over in spite of my efforts. Magpie Genes is specifically as an outlet for my art pieces but there's some osmosis there too.

So it's OK for other people to have different guidelines for themselves and their blogs? Are they better compartmentalizers?

Totally! But I'm just too all over the place interest and life-wise to manage it myself. Let's face it. I couldn't if I wanted to.

I'm glad you're willing to put up with it.

Comments

[Tim '@Twalk' Walker]

Susan, I'm with you. My mind goes 14 directions per day, and I always have more projects on the boil than I can keep up with. In my "maturity" (ha - I'm 35) I'm trying to do a better job of focusing on one thing at a time to finish it off, but in fact I think that part of the value I bring is that my mind works across - or simply ignores - most boundaries.

Ideally, we can be *who we are* in each setting. That doesn't mean telling fart jokes in church, but within reason it's a way of enriching experiences, not "violating" arbitrary / artificial boundaries.

[Chris Wilson]

Susan,

Well said. A community is only as strong as its relationships, just as a friendship is only as strong as the friendships. Partnerships, business relationships, etc, all seem to work better, smoother, and more to everyone's advantage when personal interest is taken in each other's lives.

I'm not saying that we have to be nosy, or overly intrusive, but understanding what's going on often leads to smoother relationships, no matter what kind it is. In friendship, it often leads to understanding, caring, and a helping hand. In business, it can lead to understanding on a missed deadline, or renewed vigor on the part of someone who needs to deliver a product or service in order for you to succeed.

Blog on, Susan, and feel free to blog about whatever is motivating you at the time, whether its business, grandchildren, twitter, or even your favorite TV show.

:)

Chris (@aithene)

[JoTee]

My Dear Susan,
Yours truly is always checking in to see "what is happening or new in your life"...I always enjoy reading your blogs because you take me to the next level which is "wow" with all the good information & insight in whats NEW out there, your a lovely human being who shares life with us with those of us who visit with you here.

Besides your artwork always makes me feel good.

Hugs JoTee

[francine hardaway]

Wow, I don't even think about questions like these. My blog is my blog, like my journal, and I write what comes to mind. If today it is Emma, that's fine. I'm not coming here looking for anything specific; I'm looking for a deeper look into @susanreynolds than I can get in 140 characters.