To Take a Break
Published by Tim on 30 Jun 2006 at 8:35 pm.
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Filed under Tips and Tricks, Vlog News.
Taking a break. It’s a cliche term most often used when relationships go sour, and people want to move on guilt free. I have discovered that it can also be used to describe what happens when life gets in the way. I’ve been trying to think of something to write for WATM for a while now, as I have been extremely remiss in my relationship with such an awesome body of work. I could write about the new vlogs that I’m discovering, or maybe the old vlogs that I’m rediscovering. While I enjoy doing that, I feel like I need a different approach right now. This is why I have chosen to write about what it has been like for me to all but disappear from the world of vlogging for several months and then return to find that things have been moving moving moving along without me (imagine that). It’s a unique experience, removing yourself from such an active, vibrant community that it growing in all different directions all the time. I wouldn’t recommend it unless absolutely necessary. I happened across my “break” with the vlogosphere by accident. The pace of life quickened in many ways, and, slowly, vlogging took a backseat. I travelled and worked, fostered personal relationships, and after a month or so I realized I hadn’t opened my FireANT in quite some time. I found myself wondering if people were slowly removing my feed from their own aggregators. Then the second and third month went by. I tried to break back in one or two times, but it just didn’t happen. The relationships I had formed through vlogging had slunk into the corners of Blogger and Wordpress and Typepad, only to be rekindled with the utmost of care and attention.
Now I’m back, and I’ve realized that catching up is not easy to do. This thing, this medium that we try to mold and bend to our will, is a wily beast. There are new people making vlogs everyday. There is new and constant dialogue happening without any indication that it is going to stop. There are social groups being formed, and there are new relationships being discovered. There are conferences, barbecues, and educational events taking place all over the world with the purpose of spreading the news about vlogging. It really has taken on a life of its own. There is no telling where vlogging and the community will turn up next, but rest assured that if you blink your eye for a second too long you will surely miss out on something inspirational, entertaining, or just plain awesome.
“What does this have to do with We Are The Media”, you may ask. I believe that something is to be learned from all of this, and I wanted to share it with those of you who care. Each and every one of you is important, and you are all the media for sure. However, rest assured that if you need to stop for whatever reason, someone else will be there to pick up the reigns. This doesn’t mean that they are better than you, just different. And then, when you decide to return (which we hope you do), you can be the media all over again. This medium has inspired a small yet ever-growing community to take interest in what is going on around them, and it is here to stay. Because we have chosen to be the media, there will always be someone to show you what is happening. What could be better than that - experiencing the world through the eyes of friends and strangers, a dual experience, and knowing that it will continue to blossom even when you can’t be there to tend it. That is what WATM is all about. Making connections that last even when you decide to take a step back for a while, and knowing that when you decide to return, it is all there waiting to be rediscovered.
