Wisdom in Pieces: The Value of Twitter Conversations

I'm hosting guest bloggers who share a slice about things I love. Twitter is one of those affections.

Wade Kwon is a tweeter I follow. Possibly too closely.

Enjoy.
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I share something every day on my blogs. And I share a whole lot more on Twitter.

It is a natural fit for people with something to say, and I have something to say.

But Twitter is daunting. It has a reputation for superfluousness and confusion. Why would anyone want to share their lives, much less read about other people's lives, on this ethereal network?

For me and millions of users, it accommodates a hunger for learning. I learn so much from my tweeps: news, ideas, personal moments, witty observations, catty observations and more.

I asked my 2,000-plus followers at @WadeOnTweets for their words of wisdom to share with you.

Working on a guest post for @JamiesRabbits. @ reply me your 140-character words of wisdom. Best ones go in the post. [link]

The response was amazing. Allow me to share their tweets, along with my notes.

"It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice." My words of wisdom by someone unknown to me. [link]

Danielle, @DanielleBlevins, is a fellow Birminghamian. Being nice costs nothing, and Danielle was nice enough to share her thoughts. But it goes beyond that.

Jamie works in a meaningful job, helping children through a nonprofit organization. To me, her work is more important that what I do in my daily duties as a communications consultant. She is not only a nice person, but her career is an extension of her personality. She cares, and she cares enough to make it a career.

I like to pile on the nice, so even something as small as a guest post is my way to contribute.

Re: words of wisdom -- Get it in writing. [link]

My friend Chance, @crewless, is a talented filmmaker in Birmingham, Alabama, and a friend and neighbor. It's ironic that someone who works in video would tweet about writing, but he knows all too well the deals and promises and ideas that slip away without a piece of paper to document it.

Be the type of person that doesn't need to back it up with paper. Follow through on your promises.

Live fully by: spending less, earning more, being debt free and Investing for life. [link]

Eric, @Ewesban, is a financial planner in Birmingham. I don't think we've met, but he was kind enough to add something he knows very well: living within your means.

We all need help with something. Guest posts, electrical work, babysitting, money. Some of us struggle with breaking patterns of overspending and bad planning, or putting off how to save for the future. But that doesn't mean we have to fail. It doesn't mean we have to do it alone.

Getting help can be easy as contacting Eric and asking, "What should I do next?"

this, too, shall pass. #wisdomwords [link]

Kenn, @insomniactive, is a dear friend since we were lads knocking abo ut Hoover. He has a relaxed attitude about most things in life, as you can see in his tweet.

While I'd like to think niceness abounds, a few meanies seem to be intent on ruining our day. Don't let the meanies win. All the drama, the whining, the jabs mean little now and nothing in a day or two. Let it pass.

"Ideas don't work, unless you do." [link]

Trav, @tsutrav, is yet another Birmingham pal. He has some great ideas about books, technology and publishing, which he shares on his site, {head}:sub/head.

I know Trav is willing to put in the hours and hard work to make ideas fly. I know Jamie is willing to sacrifice other things to keep her blog up to date. Most people have ideas; few ever see them become reality because they don't try. Or they give in to fear. Or they try and give up too soon.

You may be the only one who believes in your idea. Are you willing to work to make it happen?

Bonus from Facebook: "When women go wrong, men go right after them." - Mae West -- wisest thing I have read this week! [link]

Amy, @amydormi, is another Alabama friend from the high school days. All I can add is, if women are wrong, I don't wanna be right!

If you started on Twitter today, what could you learn from your friends and followers? And what could you share with them to make their lives a little better?

Wisdom comes in surprising ways. Be open to them, and never stop learning.

Wade Kwon is a communications consultant and writer. He shares news and features about his hometown on his site, Wade on Birmingham.

The Post About Spelling It Out

I'm back.

I have been to adoption camp and I have overcome.

It was actually delightful. I'll share what I learned later this week.

Lesson #4: Don't turn your back on a kid with a stick. Especially if "baby got back."

Now for some randomness related to spelling.

First, I love Words With Friends. My user name is "Words15." Come find me and we'll play indefinitely.

I brought the heat yesterday with this mother of a game starter.

Please ignore the fact I used a word of which I have no knowledge. Mom, I pinky swear.

61 points later and Nicolag23 was so over me.

...TRANSITION...

My friend Allison is thoughtful. In all the ways I am not thoughtful. She remembers your birthday and your favorite movie and what size you wear in everything. I'm lucky if I remember we met.

Or dated.

Allison also buys you things. Things you don't hate or want to return.

In honor of a long impending week of camp, she gifted me with my favorite Scrabble Cheez-its organized in an encouraging fashion.

The intentional poor use of you're/your is gravy.

{images: Jamie}

The Post About The Rabbit Recommends v.72

Each weekend, I post a readable, a watchable, and a listenable of which I'm fond. You can choose what happens next. Earlier volumes can be found here.

Read

I promised a new rec and I have it. One Day by David Nicholls is the perfect summer read. Maybe not for those who bass fish or have chest hair, but definitely for the rest of us. We catch up with Emma and Dexter on the same day every year for 2 decades. It's a journey through the years filled with humor, romance and great writing.

Watch

My youngest godson now insists you call him "Luigi." A child at my work camp last week carried a Luigi doll everywhere. The toy had goggles for the pool. Mario Brothers is all-powerful.

Listen

Singer songwriter time. I first heard Matt Wertz on tour with Dave Barnes and I was sold. This is my favorite song "I Will Not Take My Love Away." Might I also suggest "Carolina" and "Sing My Lonesome Away?"

The Post About Guest Blogger: Joseph Kinnaird

You are reading me because Jamie is off doing what Jamie does. She is helping make life a little better for children who really need life to be a little better. Jamie asked me and others to write about something she loves. While others will no doubt write about baking, gadgets, baking gadgets, and naps, I will write about one of the things we have in common.

Faith.

Jamie is a person of deep faith. She is a disciple of Jesus and all that comes with it. The work she does for children in need of “forever families” is not a career. It is a calling. She does this because she believes this is what Jesus would do.

Simply put? Yes.

Cliché? Absolutely.

But her faith dictates the steps of her life. She is an Emory educated woman who will work a long time in her current field to make what was spent on her education. Callings are funny that way and God has a sense of humor that will get your goat sometimes. Having said all that, you are reading her blog and hopefully you will be a better person for it.

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I absolutely love how different people picture Jesus. Try this one day. Google "Jesus," then hit "images." You will see Korean Jesus, black Jesus, velvet Jesus (or is that Willie Nelson?), NRA Jesus, woman Jesus, and many others. I am waiting on Twilight Jesus as he “sparkles” coming out of the tomb and into the sunlight.

(Shameless plug: Go to my blog and look at my thoughts on the Twilight Saga)

But I have a favorite image. It is the White American Republican Jesus. There he is with his Roman nose, luxuriant straight brown hair, and light olive complexion. I don’t think the world is quite ready for the Scotch-Irish Jesus in a kilt, playing Amazing Grace on the bag-pipes. But this would be the Jesus were I to create Him in my own image.

Jesus is confounding to people who attempt to define him. When I read the Gospels, I see a man that did pretty radical things. Many have reduced him to an image closer to Mr. Rogers than what is the truth.

We have made him nice.

Last time I checked, nice guys don’t throw a city into an uproar with their presence and die hanging on a cross surrounded by thieves and enemies. Nice just doesn’t fit.

What really sticks out to me when I read the Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John is the way he walked in the world. He used common images and simple stories to tell cosmic truth. The people he chose to follow him were screwed up. He did not seem at all interested in what people thought about him. When the crowds that followed got too large he would turn and say the most ridiculous things. Things like, “If you want to follow me you have to eat my flesh and drink my blood.” Or my personal favorite, “If you love me then you have to hate your mother, father, brothers, and sisters.” In his circle of 12 were tax-collectors (the ancient equivalent of ambulance chasing personal injury lawyers), revolutionaries, and foul mouthed fishermen.

He had infinite patience with sinners. He had no patience with self righteous religious leaders and hypocrites. "He laughed and shared stories with the thief and the whore.” (Thank you Bethany Dillon) He heaped burning coals (figurative of course) on the heads of those who would look down their noses at those “sinners.” He would answer honest questions with grace. He would answer dishonest questions with more questions. He was infuriating to those who sought to trap him and living water to those who sought him. He loved people whom no one else loved. He liked wedding parties. He loved his friends and said no greater love can be shown in this world than when you are willing to give your life for them.

This man was good news to a world that needed good news. He talked about God’s love for the world and then showed the world that love.

Vaya con Dios my friends.

Joseph

Joseph writes regularly at Joseph's Blog-O-Log. It is one of Jamie's favorite things to read - second only to Entertainment Weekly.