Yesterday won’t be remembered as the best day in this life. Color it blue or call it Mars in retrograde. Nothing about it felt real and right.
No disaster occurred. The server didn’t eat my blog. My favorite social site was up all day. No one flamed my friends, and my traffic didn’t go on vacation all at once.
People acted like people. Two avoided the truth when they didn’t need to. That was disappointing.
Words don’t explain the way that disappointment can hang and pull at a person. It does that from the inside out. It can make you older than when you got up that same morning. It can make you sorry you are a grown up. It can bring a good day down. Sometimes all of the social media can’t do a thing for that.
Lucky for me, last night I had a meeting — face-to-face with a man who wanted to learn about what people do on the Internet. We spent a hours talking about tools, frontiers, and possibilities. I told him about what we do and the conversations we have. Finally we dropped by a site and I asked some friends to say a word.
People acted like people. They were encouragment. That was inspiring.
In those few hours, we both caught that extravagant feeling of learning — the one that everyone gets when discovering is the priority. It’s the feeling that happens when we chance to wonder not just look. The feeling showed in how we sat. The more we felt the learning, the more we leaned toward the computer. We were plants leaning toward the light.
Walking home I realized that extravagant learning feeling is the best cure for disappointment. It’s easy to create, and it’s totally free.
Have you experienced that extravagant feeling of learning lately?
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
Image: sxc.hu
Richard Reeve says
October 17, 2008 at 8:46 AMDiscovering the potential inherent in the system, the risk it takes to admit our own limitations…to surrender to the vast ocean of data and knowledge and to realize that we are only at the leading edge of the data bloom which will continue to grow exponentially…that is learning discovery that continues to fuel my tank these days.
ME Liz Strauss says
October 17, 2008 at 9:17 AMHi Richard!
Discovery is some fuel! I was recharged and reinvigorated last night. I’m ready to rock through the weekend.
Risk is easy when you know that you can keep going after. π
Tarina says
October 17, 2008 at 10:02 AMLiz this statement stood out to me most “ItΓΒ’Γ’Β¬ÒΒΒ’s the feeling that happens when we chance to wonder not just look.” One of the greatest things about social media is its infinite ability to teach you something about everything. It’s provided us a means to reach out and grab new knowledge about anything we may seek to understand and experience. This post did a beautiful job of helping me to remember this.
Thank you!!
marti garaughty says
October 17, 2008 at 10:20 AMhi Liz, re “People acted like people. They were encouragment. That was inspiring.”…
Despite all the stupid stuff that happens on the net, I found some of the nicest, genuine, most decent people I’ve never met.
I’m still amazed at the strong bonds we can form with just a few words and shared ideas.
BTW, I love the pic you used to illustrate this post. Have a great weekend ME Liz! π
SpaceAgeSage -- Lori says
October 17, 2008 at 10:34 AMFun learning … Discovery … New paths —
They always pull be along, especially when shared.
Glad you found the brighter light beyond the darkness of disappointment!
Kathy says
October 17, 2008 at 10:52 AMOnce again, you’ve NAILED it, Liz ! You are truly a wordsmyth!!! It’s so simple, so eloquent – “people acted like people”.
I need to tattoo that onto the inside of my eyelids!!! I seem to be frequently disappointed because people are just acting like people. Oh, and I’m especially disappointed when I am guilty of acting like people!!!
I’m trying to build in more “face to face” in my business to remind myself that there are PEOPLE on the other end of my communications. It takes a LOT more effort! I loved reading about how your face to face helped turn your day around!
Jannie says
October 17, 2008 at 11:11 AMAnd never underestimate the power of a kind comment left on a blog.
ME Liz Strauss says
October 17, 2008 at 11:22 AMHi Tarina,
It helped me too. It helped me remember that when I got here I was thrilled by it all and could wait to learn more. It helped me to realize I’d become a little immune to enjoying the wonder.
ME Liz Strauss says
October 17, 2008 at 11:28 AMHi Marti!
Yeah, in between the stupid stuff some awe-inspiring parts of life happen. We build relationships and connections mind to mind and soul to soul.
ME Liz Strauss says
October 17, 2008 at 11:29 AMHi Lori!
I was indeed feeling good about things when the day was over. π
ME Liz Strauss says
October 17, 2008 at 11:31 AMHi Kathy!
Yeah, sometimes we expect things from others and from ourselves that are superhuman. Then we get disappointed when they don’t turn out that way. . . . It takes a while to realize it’s our expectations that are skewed not the humans.
All in all humans do a pretty good job. π
ME Liz Strauss says
October 17, 2008 at 11:32 AMWell said, Jannie!
Never underestimate a kindness at all.
Amy Derby says
October 17, 2008 at 12:21 PMSometimes seeing things through new eyes does help. Love your purple flower. π
Richard Reeve says
October 17, 2008 at 12:54 PMLiz,
I work during the day with at risk teens, and your reply about risk, and that there’s a road after was delivered to my eyes just as I was struggling to put into words for a young man who was defended behind a “I don’t see the benefit” attitude… wow… thanks for playing a part in these moments here…
ME Liz Strauss says
October 17, 2008 at 6:23 PMHi Richard,
Win or lose after we lay it on the line, it’s who we are that is changed by the risk, that is made stronger and more bendable . . . like the risk tolerance tests on buildings and in manufacturing. Risk makes us less brittle, less breakable, more able to stand things. Thanks, Richard, for leading me to finish what I was thinking. We both gain from that. π
Davina says
October 18, 2008 at 2:45 PMHi Liz. Oh, so that’s what was wrong with yesterday. I didn’t recognize myself for most of the day. Kept wondering who is this person who keeps following me around; I couldn’t shake her! Blame it on Mars…
I LOVED your metaphor of two people leaning towards the learning like a plant leaning toward the light. And, the chance to wonder not look; Oh, LOVED IT!
This was my latest extravagant feeling of learning! Thank you.
paul merrill says
October 19, 2008 at 7:00 PMGreat story. I linked to – and quoted – you.