Small Things
At the beginning of the summer I got to do a little traveling and meet up in real life with some of those people who live in my computer. I was offered a parking spot in Virginia by Jeremy Hart so that I could connect with Heather Elias and we could continue on to meet a group of our online girlfriends in North Carolina.
We met in gorgeous Blacksburg, Virgina. Jeremy treated us to lunch on a rooftop, a perfect place to rest and visit before hitting the road again.
They were as fabulous as I thought they’d be, both of them and all the girls Heather and I met up with later. Lunch was wonderful and the setting was just perfect — I even got a photo that looked a little like Jeremy’s logo. (A happy accident, I assure you.)
But one thing kind of surprised me: Heather said I was the first person that ever commented on her blog. I talk a lot, so that part didn’t surprise me — but I couldn’t believe she would remember it. And then Jeremy said my blog was the first one he’d ever read. (I do hope he’s read a lot more since then.)
It just kind of struck me, the coincidence of those two things, and the three of us sharing lunch on a rooftop on a beautiful day.
You never know when a very small thing like a comment or a post is going to be remembered.
And you never know when someone is reading your blog for the first time. I have no idea which post Jeremy read, but I hope it was a decent day. Since he remembered it, I fear it was a total weirdness day. (Sorry, Jeremy!) Strange and maybe scary to think that something we say once and forget can be someone’s first impression of us.
The little things we do for each other can be remembered a long time. How about today we all do some small random nice thing for someone else, just because? Are you in?
(And if you need a place to start, Heather is raising funds to Kiss a Pig, hint-hint!)
July 30th, 2008 at 6:54 am
Sarah -
What’s a blog?
No, it wasn’t a weird post. All I remember was that it was highlighting a house in Hurricane WV somewhere. And yes, now I read a few - hundred - more!
Forums like blogs, and Twitter, and LinkedIn give us opportunities to form relationships with folks in a faster way than was previously possible. I think of conferences that I’ve been to, where I’ve met individuals in real estate I’d likely never have met before, and we had an instant rapport because of the relationship already formed online. This is one of the reasons why I think events like Inman Connect, which just took place without both YOU and I, is becomingly increasingly popular, because it’s spotlights new trends and technologies that allow us to reach our intended audience faster while creating and fostering those relationships in new ways.
Two of my favorite videos include the Free Hugs Campaign (http://youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4) and the Liberty Mutual “Pay-It-Forward” Commercials (http://youtube.com/watch?v=wMwoexR1evo). I love the look on some of their faces when someone does something nice for them - sometimes it’s a look of fear, sometimes shock, but the message is powerful. Thanks for the reminder …
And it was GREAT to finally meet you as well!
July 30th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Sarah,
One of the undercurrents at Inman was about how to meld the technology with the face to face engagement of real people. (which, coincidentally, the conference did for many of us) The small things are the ones that people always remember…like being the first person to post on my Active Rain blog. And continuing to come back and leave me encouraging comments here and there. =)
It’s always good to be reminded of how we impact others with our actions, however small and seemingly insignificant. I vote that you and Jeremy both come to Inman Connect in New York in January…
~Heather