Twittering
My new found friend or obsession? I think both. I am a woman who calls herself calm, peaceful, and aware (at least trying to be), one who turns technology off at least once a week to bring peace of mind and a connection to myself. Yet each day everyday, many times a day, I turn my phone or computer on to see what the world of twitterers are up to and to share what I am currently doing with everyone who might be following me.
Since joining exactly one month ago today I have kept my twitter going day and night. In fact when I first began I embarrassingly checked it in the middle of the night, (the only reason I ever have my cell on at night is so that my daughters can call me in an emergency), but like a little girl on Xmas eve I checked my twitter page a few sleepless times to see if anyone had replied to me or if I had any new followers, it was like waiting for Santa to fill the stockings. I was OBSESSED for a few torturous 24 hour cycles. I actually dreamed of tweets and what I might say. That phase has passed.
What I have observed is that there are those that say profound things, those that constantly self promote, and those that chronicle every move they make: “ yum popcorn” “the kids tracked mud in the house” “ I hate this traffic” or in John Mayer’s case “I just pooped”, which I’m sure he said as a joke… Some tweets are so obscure that they have followers in the 100s of thousands and I have yet to be able to figure out what they talk about which I think is their point.
It is especially intriguing when a celebrity gives the impression that they are telling you everything. For instance Ashton and Demi make you feel like you are having dinner with them and are right there at their Academy award party. Demi showed us her dress and gorgeous jewelry via twitpic. I think Ashton showed the table centerpiece and someone’s Oscar (Penelope’s I think) as Demi tweeted that she would have lunch with her the following day… woo hoo we know what everyone cool is up to.
I realize I am a celebrity but I am not a high rolling super fabulous party going celeb… I keep to myself. I cook and eat by myself often because I love to… I spend hours in silence, well, until twitter came into my life. So even though we feel we are right there with our icon, are they really telling us the whole story? I don’t think so, but there is a place of intimacy where you reveal just enough to include everyone in your journey to some extent.
I love to use Demi and Ashton as examples because they are so genuinely sweet with one another. Ashton claims his love for Demi and also tells her “honey you can say that directly to me I am right across the table from you.” It makes you laugh and feel oh so close to them. Sometimes you want to reply and in my case although I know them, not well enough to get into a dialogue, so I just watch like all the rest. And trust me, they have a small country of followers. I must admit I had a moment of twitter follower jealousy…I have a growing 1300 followers, which I think is pretty WOW…they both have some 200 thousand people checking out their every move. It is a bit daunting. But hey Ashton is a hot young hugely successful Actor and he’s married to a, not that young (she is basically my age) but looks amazing, woman who is hotter and more successful than anyone her age so it kinda makes sense. I laughed and got over it!
Newly separated I like the sense of feeling like there are others around who are inquiring and interested in their surroundings. I love my fellow environmentalists and healthy eaters, and peace seekers… they speak my language. But most everyone I follow interests me.
Not to mention if you need help with anything at all, just tweet the question and get an answer from many in seconds. I got help on twittering from Howard Kurtz from CNN and I made someone from the NY times laugh at my not knowing what a particular twitter action was. I can’t say it now as I think it is pornographic (and I am too embarrassed to ask again). Regardless of what is shared it feels like everybody is on your team.
I don’t know where my twitter experience will take me though I know it is not going away too soon. I may have to find a day a week where I turn my technology off again. (Maybe I can tweet when I wake up and check it just once before I go to sleep that day). I originally thought it was a place to help get people to notice that I am still alive and working in the world and that I have a cookbook – Mariel’s Kitchen – coming out in May…(yes that was a shameless plug…) but I feel it has become something much more than a place to self promote in fact I feel it is a place where you become part of a community that you might not otherwise feel connected to, and that feels good. So this self-proclaimed peace seeker is connecting to a bigger busier world by coming close to those around her through twittering.
