THE MISSION

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Wednesday, May 13, 2009

“Who’s Who”

Do you know that publication? A quick google search reveals multiple cataegories you may fall into: Who's Who in the USA, amoung students, online, professionals? Being sited in one of these books is considered, "one of the most prestigious awards the (fill in the blank) community can bestow".

Long ago, my name appeared in one of the student publications. I cannot find the book. I cannot remember the actual category I fell into. I cannot recall if it was my high school performace or my college accolades that earned me such a "prestigious honor". Equally, I cannot recall feeling honored at all, seeing as my father had to cut a rather large check to the publisher so we could own one of these well-bound books that just so happened to have my name somewhere within its hundreds of pages.

Who would ever see me there? Why would it ever matter? How did this wheat from the chaff approach to academics futher anybody's journey through life? It didn't, not for me anyhow.

And yet, segregation within circles is what communities do. We all have our labels, or defining titles that place us within other’s minds. The teacher, the preacher, the mother, the activist, the rebel, the writer, the peace keeper, the quiet one; and then there’s the famous…

It’s the latter I’ve been thinking of quite a bit lately, for fame exists in each of these categories.

Is ‘Famous’ is a quantifiable word? In the real world it seems to be, measured by income and notoriety, number of fancy cars, and the square footage of your house, but not really by nobility for I can think of many famed personalities that reached their current status by actions considered 'less than noble'.

Fame is relative. A few well timed articles in local newspapers and neighbors joke, “Jeez – you’re famous!” A spot on the Today Show and your level of notoriety launches to the National level. And, lest us forget the coveted spot on Ms. O’s show, which will inspire or incense the world-at-large to your cause.

So, are there famous bloggers? This is the question I have been grappling with for weeks. Well, of course there are famous bloggers, but most were famous before the conception of their blog, and I would be willing bet that they don’t sit awake at 1am updating their blog because their emotional state is in such turmoil they have to purge the words before they sleep. Their blog is an extension of their pre-existing famous-ness.

So, to communitize this a bit more (are you keeping track of just how many new words I can make up in one post?) – Are there famous bloggers in the ALI community?

And, I suppose the most obvious answer is ‘yes’, as quantified by their following readership, the number of comments receive per post, or the sitemeter silently rotating numbers on their sidebar. And yet, I clearly recall my first impression of the blogging world, six.short.months.ago – as a very user friendly, equal opportunity, bring-any-and-all-emotions-here, community. This is – in fact, one of the founding purposes of the LFCA (Lost Found Connections Abound).

I have written many times, within countless posts, of the base connection I feel to my blogging friends. I have emoted about how I know very little about their real life: cars, houses, bank accounts, etc) but have no doubt that were we to hop a plane and share physical space with each other, the connection would be instant. For I do know, their losses, their struggles, their grief, their triggers, the things that lift them up. In short, I know their heart.

We are all connected. We are all important. All our feelings are valid and matter. And before this post becomes a segway for yet another tangetalized piece of Mel’s weekend,
(Um…btw – Mel, with her given title, “Goddess of Infertility”, and her recent exposé in the metro-times, certainly qualifies as a famous blogger)… I’ll get to the point.

There were three bloggers at my real-life walk this weekend. Because, I consider them famous as mapped out by the above critera and from personal perspective, I will not name or link to them. I will allow them the freedom to blog about their experience if they so choose. But I need to share mine.

Tomorrow's post will be the intensely emotional experience I encountered meeting them in person. My first, second and third meet-and-greet, if you will....

Till then, I leave you with a few questions:

What, in your opinion, is bloggy fame? How do you measure it? And, if you were given the absolute choice to become a famed blogger overnight, would you take it? Why? or Why Not?

7 comments:

Bluebird said...

Forgive me for being completely unresponsive to your questions here :) But I just had to say that I'm on pins and needles waiting for photos! Hope you'll post some along with your stories.

Cara said...

You bet! Believe it or not I DON'T HAVE ANY YET!!!! You know, I thought that it would be nice, for a change not to be behind the camera...but it has it's downside too!!

Kristin said...

I think blogging fame boils down to having a name/product that most people in the community know and that has as least occasionally gotten mentioned outside of said blogging community. If you are a famous blogger, people seek you out.

I think I would take the opportunity because I believe my story could help people.

Michelle said...

I am with Kristen on your questions and definitely I can not wait to see the pictures. Just thinking about your walk on Saturday brings a smile to my face. I just can't say enough how happy I am about it. I have pretty much told everyone I know about it.

Anonymous said...

Oh I don't know what I would do without my blogger friends and their unconditional support. I've been through so much in the past year while I've been blogging and even my in-real-life friends and family haven't stood by me, but my bloggy friends have. Take Mother's Day for example. A very hard day for me. My husband said nothing, but I got about 25 emails from bloggers saying they were thinking about me.

Dora said...

Hmmm, not sure there's any one thing that defines a famous blogger. Having met one, Matt Logelin, I think it's sometimes just the ability to connect with so many people. Although in Matt's case, Maddy's cuteness could be a factor. ;-)

Not sure I'd want to be a famous blogger. Maybe if I could keep my blogging anonymity. Although, I think I would feel pressured to post more often, and be more self conscious about it. Don't think I would like that. But, as Kristin said, it would be gratifying to help and inspire more people.

MrsSpock said...

Bloggy fame...there are those who have millions of readers, like Uppercase Woman, a little pregnant, and SQ. Folks who have spun off their blogging into books and other pursuits, a la Tertia.

I do think there are people who feel "famous" to me because I read them and they seemed so well-connected in the community and popular. The first time Cecily from Uppercase Woman responded to a comment of mine, I was like, woooooow...

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