Why I Use Social Media (and other comments on the topic)

In the industry that my company serves (Public Relations) social media is the biggest buzzword around. When I first heard that companies were interested in social media, I was amazed. Why would some company want to know what I like...what I'm doing...oh wait. I'm a consumer...duh. The platform that drove the social media into high gear (at least from my perspective) is Twitter (if you are not tweeting yet...don't worry, I'll tell you my thoughts on why you should/shouldn't later). Since social media is what is buzzing around me all the time, I got to thinking about the reasons that I use social media sites like blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc. And, since this is my blog, I thought I'd write about those for you and my personal pros and cons for each.

Blogs

Blogs were really my first foray into social media. I started reading some blogs of friends about 6 years ago strictly as a way to keep up with them. On community-oriented sites like Xanga, I started finding random people that I didn't know whose blogs I enjoyed reading. Call it voyeuristic, but something about getting a peek into a stranger's day-to-day life entertains me. I started my own blog when I moved to Maryland in 2004 so that I wouldn't have to send mass email updates about my life to my friends back in SC. I found that I liked the cathartic aspect of blogging, and also made a few blog friends on Xanga. When you say "I have a blog", it means different things to different people. Some bloggers are anonymous, some aren't. Some people see blogs as strictly a way to update real-life friends on their life. Others use blogging as a way to write about things they can't talk about. Some blogs are "information only" and focus on a specific subject (like political blogs). Some people feel the blogging community is another level of friendship, and like to meet other people like (or not like) themselves. For me, my blog is combination of all of these things. I write about all kinds of subjects...what I like/dislike, how I live my life, what I believe, and I occasionally include photos. Blogging is such a versatile platform and is so accessible that a blog can truly be about anything. However, know that when you blog, you are basically putting yourself out there for anyone to read about you and what you write.

I read blogs for many different reasons. Mostly because I love information. See this old Xanga post for my thoughts on that. But I digress (about 2.5 years if you read that old post). I read blogs of my friends to keep up with their lives. I read blogs of random people because their lives seem interesting and I like the way they write. I read Music blogs to get insight into music itself, and I love reading about up and coming opera singers. I read blogs about topics I find interesting. While occasionally I will make a friend who is another blogger, it's not the main reason I blog. I have a limited capacity for having what I think of as "close" friends, and I think I have to keep them in the real world. While I often fail at blogging regularly, I do enjoy reading the updates of those who do.

Facebook

Ah, Facebook. The great time-suck and bane of some folks' existence. For me, Facebook is less a social networking site to meet people and more of a way to keep in touch with friends. I think that out of my 350 friends on FB, only one or two are people I don't know in real life. Granted, I may have met them only once IRL (in real life), but I have at least laid eyes on them. I love that I've gotten back in touch with high school friends on Facebook. I even was able to correspond with my old gymnastics coach, who I haven't seen in 12 years!

My favorite thing about Facebook are the status updates and photos. I love reading and seeing what people are up to. It helps me connect to them. That's part of the reason I don't like the new FB layout...I want to be able to see what my friends are up to without all the other junk that clutters up the News Feed. Thus, my least favorite aspect of Facebook are the quizes and links that people post. Though they are occasionally interesting, they are not what makes Facebook enjoyable or worthwhile for me. While many companies would like to monitor Facebook for people's status updates and to see what their comments about particular companies may be, FB is a closed system. And thus the popularity of Twitter...

Twitter

I must admit, the popularity of Twitter baffled me at first. Why go to Twitter to read status updates when you can go to FB for them? And who cares about what other people think on certain topics? But then, I started hearing more about Twitter, and considering that status updates are my favorite part of FB, I thought I'd give it a try. I was turned off at first because I thought you had to have device updates (where others' "tweets" are sent as texts to your phone) turned on and I didn't want to get someone's random status on my phone. But, as more of my blogging friends (or stalkees, if you will) began tweeting, I started to enjoy it. Tweeting is sort of in between FB and blogging...you have to say what you will in 140 characters or less. While I don't really want tweeting to replace blogging (like it has for my most favorite music blog, the concert...please come back to blogging ACB...I desperately miss your witty and insigtful writing!), I've recently started following people/organizations I'm interested in on Twitter, and I'm enjoying it (incidentally...click here to follow me on twitter if you'd like). However, one of the popular uses of Twitter is to get other's opinions on products and such. I don't know that I'd ever completely trust a Twitter opinion...can I really believe JoeShmo in Texas' opinion that the Silver Oak Napa Cab from 1999 tastes awful? (It doesn't, by the way). I don't know JoeShmo, what his tastes are, etc. However, if Joe has a blog, and I've read it for awhile and agree with most of his other opinions, I'd be more likely to trust his assessment of the Silver Oak Napa Cab. So, I think I'll stick to reading blogs for recommendations on most subjects.

The downside to Twitter for someone like me is that it's completely public (unless you make your updates protected..and where is the fun in that?). So, for example, if I mention my company name in a Tweet, that is going to go to my boss and the execs at my company. Also, some people mix personal and private lives on Twitter...one update says something like..."at work for PR firm XYZ and building media lists" and the next says something like "got so drunk last night that I peed in my closet". Personally, I don't think that's the way to build a professional reputation for interacting with people outside of your organization!

The Public vs. Private nature of social media is one aspect that is a bit daunting. It's easy to read about someone's life when you don't know them. I had an interesting encounter the other day that made me think about whether or not reading someone's blog is violating their privacy. There is a blog of an opera singer in Baltimore that I read on a regular basis. She is not anonymous on her blog, and when I first started reading, I had no idea who she was. But, in the past year or so, I discovered that we have some mutual friends. I finally officially met her IRL at a bachelorette party a few weeks ago. Even though we were meeting for the first time, from reading her blog I felt like I already knew her pretty well. It felt awkward. As the night went on and we were drinking wine, I wanted to tell her that I read her blog. I really did...but it felt weird. So I didn't. And then I felt kind of sneaky. Like I had been gossiping about her. I know it should be fine...she puts herself out there as a blogger, and it's not like I am stalking her...but it still felt strange to know so much about her and have her not know. So Jessica, if you happen to stumble across this blog...please don't be weirded out...and know that I love reading your blog!

And now that I've rambled here for awhile...it's time to check Facebook!

What I've Been Up To...

...working, editing training videos, recording training videos, training, celebrating Easter, eating, not eating, sleeping, vegging, hanging out, consuming Easter chocolate, not seeing enough of certain people, seeing too much of others, watching the rain, running a tiny bit, driving, enjoying my coffee in the mornings, listening to audiobooks on my iPod, watching Wildfire on my iPod, rehearsing, churching, cooking, and cleaning.

Hopefully, everyone now feels updated on my life...:)

Just Inject the Toxins, Please

This weekend, I decided that it would be a good idea to try a detox diet. I've been reading about them for awhile, and thought that it would be a good way to "cleanse" my body and exercise a little bit of discipline. Plus, this is Holy Week, which is always an appropriate time to practice self-deprivation. My detox diet involved eating only fruits and veggies all week. Easy, right? Ha!

Well. I began by eating just fruits and vegetables for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Monday. Not too bad, although I was a bit wiped out by the end of the day. I should also add that this detox involved no coffee. I have one cup of coffee every morning...it is part of my routine and helps me get going. By the end of Monday evening, I had a mild headache and was crashing. Tuesday morning, I woke up with a tension headache that stretched from my shoulder to the top of my head. I went off to work with no coffee again, and ate a banana for breakfast. I was in a terrible mood, and it's surprising that I made it through the day without snapping at someone!

By 4:00, I knew that I would never make it all week without protein or bread. By 6:00, I had decided to have a chicken sandwich for dinner. So I did. It tasted fantastic. By 8:00, my raging headache had started to recede. By 10:00, I felt my mood lifting.

This morning, I woke up and had my coffee. Driving to work, I was listening to Disney tunes and was in a fabulous mood! When my 9:00 training session cancelled, I decided it was a sign that I should have Crack (Chick-fil-A) for breakfast. So I did. By 10:00, I was in an even better mood. Tonight, I got home and made Pasta Fagioli. I also had some wine, which is apparently a toxin as strong as coffee. Yet, I highly recommend it.

Moral of the story? Apparently, toxins are what keep my mood lifted. So, I'll be consuming them...no more detox diets for me!

A Nice, Hot Bath

One of my Fall/Winter/Spring luxuries is a pre-bedtime bath. It's too hot for a soak in the warm tub in the summer, so I stick to baths in the cooler/cold months. When I'm freezing to death going back and forth to my car in the evenings during January...I so look forward to that hot bath!

Usually, I pour myself a small glass of port or madeira, get my book, put some soothing music on my iPod and just relax. Baths are especially nice when I'm in training for some race or event. They are also the best way for me to unwind...particularly on nights when I get home from rehearsal at 10 or 10:30 and need to be asleep by 11 or 11:30!

I have always loved evening baths, but lost the routine part of it in college because I had no tub. As soon as I graduated and rented a house, baths again became a part of my bedtime routine. When I lived in SC, I often would start bathtime at 9 PM (I was much less busy then!), light candles all around my room, turn off all the lights in my room and the bathroom, and soak for hours! Now, if I lit candles, I'd have to blow them out in 30 minutes, so I typically leave that step out. I do occasionally add bubbles, bath salt, or scented oil to my bath experience to make it special, though.

When I was at Disney World last month, Lauren and I stopped off at the Grand Floridian and popped into Basin to check out their wares. They had a special where you could fill a tube with Bath Bombs for $20. I got about 8 bombs, and have been enjoying them every now and then with my baths. My favorite so far has been "Serenity". Anyway, Monday night I threw a Lemongrass bath bomb in...and started noticing little flowers popping out of the bomb. Ok, really, they looked more like weeds. And the water was reeeeeaaalllly yellow. I guess that is supposed to be luxurious or spa-like...but it felt really weird to me! Like I was bathing in a yellow lake of sorts...definitely not my favorite! Once I drained the water, I had to clean out the tub. I would have taken a picture, but....you get the picture...I couldn't go get my camera downstairs because I had nothing.....ok, please don't get that picture!

I'm hoping that the rest of my fancy bath bombs don't have any strange weeds embedded in them!

Opera Etiquette

As my faithful blog readers know, I'm a big opera fan. This year, I've had the privilege of attending a few operas at larger houses - Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center Opera House and the Met (on my birthday, no less!). In those performances, I've experienced some odd interactions with other opera-goers such as the sniffer.

On Sunday, Maureen, Sharon and I went to see WNO's production of Peter Grimes (which was fabulous....kudos to the chorus!). We had great seats in the first tier. Great...except for the people around us. Granted, it was the Sunday matinee, but I expected people to be a little more polite at the opera. During Act II, the man to my left (who was sort of cuddling with his wife) kept leaning into me. I couldn't actually sit back in my seat because my shoulders wouldn't fit! I mean, my shoulders are broad, but not broader than a chair! I do have a bit of a personal space issue...but still! Sharon was wondering why I kept leaning towards her...she guessed that I must miss J and wanted to cuddle. I did miss J...although we were watching him onstage. But my real reason was the strange man who was invading my personal space. :)

Also, the man in front of us kept putting his arm around the woman next to him behind the seat. There wasn't a whole lot of leg room anyway, and his arm took away 4 inches of space. He kept almost feeling my leg throughout the whole performance. Eww.

And then, an older lady on the end of our row wouldn't get up during the intermission when we left to head to the ladies room. As soon as we crawled over her, she got up and followed us to the ladies room!

I also would like to say that a Sunday matinee is not an evening opera...so please don't wear your sparkly evening dress and rhinestone studded heels! I am not a snob when it comes to what one should wear to the opera or how one should behave (although I myself enjoy dressing up and drinking champagne when I go), but there are some rules that just shouldn't be broken.

Also, Peter Grimes is the first tragic opera that didn't make me cry. I think it's because the main characters are a bit static...the opera is primarily about the people of the town (the Borough) and their predujices in a sense. Next up for me? Turandot. Although I haven't seen it, I imagine that one will make me sob...

What Do You Do When Something You Used to Love is No Longer Fun?

I think most of you know how important music is to me, and that I sing in a chorus. What I haven't written about recently are my feelings about singing in the chorus. I used to love it, it fulfilled my need to make music, etc. But somehow, in the past year, the week or so before each concert has brought so much stress on me. Not because of the music, but because of all the weird details that surround a concert week. The details of who stands where and what that means, who sings what and what that means, who is standing next to me and how that affects the way that I sing, etc. And those details, for me, have overshadowed the joy I have in making music and have made it not fun. Not fun to the point that I am questioning whether continuing to sing in the chorus past this season is best for me.

I received an email from a friend the other day mentioning how much she missed singing during our week break after the last concert. She actually went as far to say that part of the reason she had been a bit depressed during the week was because she hadn't been able to sing. And that she was very much looking forward to rehearsal that evening.

I remember when I used to feel that way! When the evenings we had rehearsal were the highlight of my week. But now, I wouldn't say that I dread rehearsal evenings, but I don't look forward to them. And the joy I get from the music doesn't outweigh the stress that arrives the week of a concert. Why can't I enjoy myself anymore?

I think it has to do with the fact that I care TOO much. Investing 5+ of my evening hours a week in something means it begins to take on a lot of value. And I feel very invested in the final product. Somehow, it's become more about the details, social balances, and politics of the chorus than about the music...and I hate that. I'd love to be able to just drop all of that, not care about those things, and simply work hard to make music. Unfortunately, it clearly is not that easy.

I don't know the answer to any of my questions, but I do know that I'll be thinking long and hard this summer about how to continue to sing, but step back from the messiness that seems to surround the group I'm in at the moment. I want it to be only about the music, not about the other things that stress me out.

And yes, I know the ultimate answer is to have an eternal perspective about this. Believe me, I've been working on that too...but just as soon as I think I have that going for me...it's gone and the stress comes back. Argh.

Favorite Scents

Ever since I was in Elementary School, I've loved perfume, scented lotions, etc. My first love was Spring Rain by Crabtree and Evelyn, which has since been phased out (such a shame...I still love it!). In middle and high school, I moved to the more popular fragrances of Victoria's Secret as well as Bath and Body Works. Vanilla Lace and Sun-Kissed Raspberry were my choices (now when I smell those I can't believe I liked them!).

At some point, my fragrance tastes became more refined. I switch between 2 or 3 scents, depending on the season.

My winter fragrance:


I love all things from France, so it would stand to reason that I am a fan of Chanel, as well. This perfume is heavy enough for winter, but has a nice floral note as well.

In the summer, the last thing I want to do is put on a heavy fragrance, so I switch to this:

I first discovered this scent when I was staying at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, DC for my company's users conference (the company was paying...hence the Ritz!). Their toiletries are Bvglari White tea (or au the blanc), and I loved the clean, fresh, light qualities of the perfume.

However, in the past 6 months, I've had a bit of a scent obsession with thisTruthfully, I've always loved rose-scented anything. I tried this on in Sephora last fall, and really liked it...but couldn't justify a $70 purchase when I had a half bottle of Chanel Allure left. So, I left it on the shelf. When I was at Epcot in Disney two weeks ago, "Italy" had a perfume shop with Bvlgari wares. I tried it on again (for about the 6th time since last fall). I decided I had to have it. Lucky for me they only had a $140 bottle, so I didn't buy it. I bemoaned the fact that I wasn't going to get my new scent, but decided in these economic times, it might be for the best. Until yesterday. I walked into Sephora, determined to finally make a decision on this beguling scent! Lo and behold, I found a small bottle for $20! The perfect solution to my dilemma...enough perfume to last through the spring this and next year...but without having to pay $70!

I've been sniffing my wrist all morning since I'm wearing Rose Essentielle today...