Hello Everyone;
Well, I haven't posted anything on the blog since July. I felt like I was stretching trying to keep the blog AND the emails going. I told myself if this ever became work ... I would stop. If it's not fun - then why bother. I have no goals for the blog and emails other than to share a laugh. I try not to take myself, the blog or the emails too seriously. I am fairly secure in my sense of relevance.
I think social media and the internet has provided people a platform to feed their need for relevance. It seems to me people are finding a source to secure their relevance through" blogging" "tweeting" "friending" and whatever the latest trend might be. I think you could make a strong argument that the need for relevance could come right after the three great needs of man. Let's call it "Need Number Four."
"Need Number Four" drives people to extremes to achieve it. Think about what people will do just to satisfy their need to matter.
For example: Someone you know dies. You Google the funeral home to get the website. Then you find the obituary tab on their site. You scroll down to the "online condolence" section. You know there will be many other "condolences" submitted. So, you pull out all the stops and write a literary masterpiece. In your most fluent and eloquent style, you write your most comforting condolence. You like what you wrote. You know it's good. You are sure all others will pale in comparison.
So then you save the funeral home website to your "favorites" for instant access. You can't wait for the approval of your masterpiece. You check back every ten minutes... then BOOM...there it is...in all it's glory. You hope the family has read and appreciated your literary effort. You know they are going to be moved with compassion as soon as they read it. You have no plans of attending the viewing or funeral or even sending flowers. But your condolence is so totally awesome that it hardly matters.
For the next week you are going to the obituary ( which you have saved to "favorites") several times a day. Reading all the other condolences and each time reading yours again. There is no contest. Your condolence is far and away superior to all others. Then when you read one from someone you know ( and aren't that fond of ) and you bask in the glow of totally blowing them away.
And just in case someone wanted to congratulate you... you post your full name and contact information.
Just one example of people going to extreme measures aided by technology to achieve "Need Number Four." I am thinking about "Need Number Five"... any ideas?
Thanks and we'll talk more later;
Lanny Ray
