Phaedra and Favorites

I watch all the “Real Housewives” series on Bravo.

There, I said it. Now you know. No more secrets around here.

And presently, the ladies of Atlanta are entertaining us whilst they romp upon the Serengeti in South Africa – complete with high fashion, high heels, and champagne…I love it.

Last night I watched the episode that aired Sunday evening – (thanks Charlie for teaching me how to use the DVR – I am the master of the remote now). Phaedra Parks,  a UGA Law School grad I might add, laid it on the line regarding the potential furor that was brewing between the warring camps of high-strung socialites…”I rebuke the devil,” she said with a thick, well-honed Southern accent, and looked sideways with her beautiful doe-eyes as if she saw Satan himself sitting next to her in the Safari-mobile.

Therefore, whether you are a believer or not: rebuke the devil and avoid stepping in it.

On favorites…If you are a parent and have a favorite when it comes to your children, keep it to yourself. The kid that isn’t a favorite knows.

Another favorite…The message I received from Al after he read yesterday’s blog. Al and I have known one another since 1975. He was one of my business partners when we owned “Sparky’s” – a seafood restaurant in Athens, GA. He has watched me grow, fall, get back up, and keep going. His telling me, “you have a good voice”, brought tears to my eyes; but the rest of his message is the most important and warrants passing on to you:

“I read something last year that Pat Conroy wrote about his reading life, and these are the words he wrote that I  want to share with you: ‘Here is what I want from a book, what I demand, what I pray for when I take up a novel and begin to read the first sentence: I want everything and nothing less, the full measure of a writer’s heart.’ Now I know you are writing a blog and not a full tilt Pat Conroy novel, but the heart is a fine place to start. I want everything and nothing less. Wish it was that damn simple.”

Me, too, Al…me, too.

#phaedraparks

Laying It On The Line ‘Bout You

I had planned to “Lay It On The Line ‘Bout Love” today, because y’all know I can do that – I’ve been on that journey in several different lives, shapes, and forms. I admit I can’t tell you the top ten things you need to do to succeed in love like some folks can, but I certainly can rattle off a list of a few things you shouldn’t do if you’re looking for a successful love adventure.

Yes, love was going to be the topic until I sent out an e-mail and Facebook notice yesterday, explaining my intentions to enter the blogosphere.

And then you started replying and commenting, and Lord have mercy, I have to hand it to you – you are the new press indeed…just like the blogging experts say you are: “Freedom of the press belongs to those who own one, and now, because we have the Web, anyone can own one. The press is us.”

Doesn’t that make you proud? It should and it should also make you feel inspired, because communication is what makes us better human beings. The more we talk and listen, the more we understand, and the more we understand, the smarter we get…and that is what this blogging thing is all about…throwing it out there and getting it back.

So, please, talk to me. Share what you’re reading and hearing; express what you think. Tell me the stories you want to hear. Enlighten us with history you know and insight you have.

But before I leave you on this Valentine’s Day, I want to share this little clip with you. John Mayer lays it on the line ’bout that love thing…it’s a perfect description of what the bug can do to you.

Laying It On The Line ‘Bout Blogging

Sonya Sorich has been blogging for five years and has been part of the newsroom of the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer for the same amount of time. The Ledger is a major West Georgia/East Alabama newspaper that was purchased by the Sacramento-based  McClatchy group in 1988. Sorich is a transplant to the South from California and the Midwest, who brought a fresh, innovative voice to the news staff and immediately got the readers’ attention with her “Walk of Shame” dating advice blog. She got my attention with her American Idol blog – yes ’tis possible to be a fan of William Shakespeare, the Grimm Brothers Fairy Tales, and American Idol.

Her initial job was that of a feature writer; now she manages the paper’s social media platforms, which, in addition to blogs, include Facebook and Twitter. “We use Facebook to get feedback from readers and Twitter for breaking news. I also use Twitter like a reporter’s notepad…it’s great for keeping track of what I’m covering.”  Sorich maintains two blogs, monitors the company’s Facebook page, and writes at least three feature stories for publication every week. When I asked veteran reporter Sandra Okamoto who the social media guru in the newsroom is, she said, “Sonya.”

“The purpose of blogging is to have what you have written read,” she said with a voice of experience – albeit a very youthful voice. “To achieve that, a blogger must focus on a topic, write with a clear tone, and have a consistent voice. You also have to come up with stories that are ‘talker stories’ that will get reader response. When we post something on the paper’s Facebook page, at least 50-plus comments are what we like to see.”

Sorich knows what makes a blog work and what kills one, too. “One of the biggest mistakes made by bloggers is lack of frequency in posting…it’s really best to post everyday if possible.” Blogging shouldn’t be just about what the blogger thinks, reads, or does either. Sonya has enough experience to know that “scouring the internet for stories that relate to the blog and including that as a major part of the post is very important. Every piece doesn’t have to be an introspective masterpiece.”

The 45-minute interview flew by, but I continued to think about what she said: voice, tone, topic, focus, engagement and frequency. She said it was best to try to pick a topic, to narrow the field. I struggle with this concept. The focus of the column I wrote for seven years covered everything from moon shining to marital bliss (or the lack thereof). I love political pontificating just as much as I love telling tales like the one about the Fourth of July picnics at Union Baptist Church during the 1920’s – when all the politicians showed up sober but left drunk.

How could I choose one topic? Given the wealth of information and opinion to which we have instant access, how can I pick just one?

I don’t think I can. There are too many stories, too many comical events happening, too many stupid things said and done, and too many wonderful deeds performed to concentrate on a single category.

For this blog, I can pick one tone however: I can promise my readers that whatever the topic, I will try to suggest interesting sources, I will ask for your feedback, and I will always lay it on the line.