If you’re anything like me (read: narcissistic), The Truman Show was the movie that made you want to smoke a cigarette when it was over. I could have made millions had I capitalized on my vivid childhood imagination, for I had envisioned ‘reality tv’ long before it was even a whisper in the womb. There were cameras in every room of my house, in my car, at my school, following me down the street – I was the star of my own show, and EVERYONE wanted to watch it. I even NARRATED during the slow parts.
If you know me personally, perhaps this sheds a little light things.
Bryan has been raving about a new online tool called, Twitter. And like most things he raves about, I roll my eyes and ignore him for awhile, wait for one of my friends to say it’s cool, then I finally check it out. It drives him mad, but it’s good to keep him grounded.
Things I like about Twitter
Many use it in the work sector as a tool for workstreaming, but as a stay at home mom I have found value in the social aspects of Twitter – ambient intimacy, as one blogger called it. The tool limits you to only 140 characters – just a couple of lines – so it forces you to be quick and concise. You can use it through your IM client (I use gtalk), so it doesn’t add one more feed or blog or website to check into. I do many interesting and fun and mundane things throughout the day, but don’t have time to fashion a blog post, nor do I want to bore the masses with my Truman Show-like mentality. So I twitter, and only those who choose to ‘follow me’ will receive the updates. Also, if you are a more private person than I am you can set up twitter to be private, so only those you allow access to can read your updates.
I feel this tool could be a strong connector for moms who, at times, can feel isolated. One thing of value I have gleaned from writing at This Pile is the world of connectedness it has opened up – other women writing me to say, This is exactly how I feel, or I have struggled with the same thing, or I’m glad that’s working for you so maybe I’ll give it a try. My theory is that it can not only be a point of fellowship, but of accountability and networking. Did I make it to the gym? Am I eating bon bons while my children watch their fourth movie? Am I drunk blogging???
I personally feel that my online and offline communities can be enhanced by twitter, and that there is great value in connecting through simple, easy-to-use tools.
Please twitter me and make all my fantasies come true!