One day I was helping my friend, Dante, clean his garage out before a move, I didn’t have a problem giving him a hand to make the process go a little faster.
Not too long into our work, Dante’s aunt came by with her daughter. When she went into the house to speak with Dante’s father, her 10-year-old decided to stay in the garage with us guys. She did what every 10-year-old does with anyone that’s older, annoy them.
As Dante and I were cleaning away, I came across a VCR that looked in fairly good condition in a box with VHS tapes. I looked at Dante and held up the VCR to get an idea of whether he would keep it. As I stood holding the VCR in my hand waiting for Dante‘s response, I heard one of the most frightening questions that I would ever expect to hear from a child.
“What is that?”
I couldn’t believe my ears and then the fear of realizing my age seemed to creep around the corner.
I tell this story in order to help some illustrate blogging, the newest and fastest way for communication about news. Some people oppose the idea.
As an avid blogger myself, I have one thing to say to all of you blogging oppressors: Wake Up!
It’s a new era. Even though blogging may be new to you, there isn’t any reason to feel that it’s not real journalism. Many of you who miss your newspaper being thick enough to break windows like a scene from “Leave it to Beaver” may feel as though there isn’t anything good that comes from blogging. You may believe it has no substance and is a waste of time, suitable only for kids with no journalism future.
You couldn’t be more wrong.
Understand that blogging is simply a way for people to express their views on different topics without writing a letter to the editor and receiving no reply. It’s also a good opportunity to have conversations on topics that are rarely brought up in magazines and newspapers. Above all, blogging gives a voice to every person who would otherwise be silenced by those who feel differently.
The idea of blogging being something that anyone can do may seem foreign, and I have to agree. Who would have thought that one day we would watch movies on discs or that someday cars would have automatic navigation systems? Even though we didn’t expect it, doesn’t mean that we can’t accept it for what it can be once it’s here.
As I stood in the garage and stared at the girl who asked me what a VCR is, I quickly realized that technology has grown significantly every year. It isn’t little Amanda’s fault that the use of VCRs today are as common as tape players in the newest line of automobiles.
I must admit, however, that I still feel some sense of agony that I feel when running her question back through my head.
