{"id":1127,"date":"2009-11-03T07:36:01","date_gmt":"2009-11-03T07:36:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/theirbadmother\/2009\/11\/the-power-of-ordinary-people-with-laptops.html"},"modified":"2009-11-03T07:36:01","modified_gmt":"2009-11-03T07:36:01","slug":"the-power-of-ordinary-people-with-laptops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/theirbadmother\/2009\/11\/the-power-of-ordinary-people-with-laptops.html","title":{"rendered":"The Power Of Ordinary People. With Laptops."},"content":{"rendered":"

A few years ago, I had the amazing opportunity to chat with Gloria Steinem<\/a>. Yes, that Gloria Steinem. We – she and I and some other bloggers – talked about the Internet and blogging and whether social media could change the world. It was a pivotal moment for me, because although I had been writing about feminism and social justice and the like from time to time – and although I had, once upon a time, actually written a thesis on the power of new media to effect change – I’d never given the question of whether what I was doing – little ol’ me, blogging – could make a difference. She convinced me. And so I have, since then, devoted a considerable chunk of my blogging energies to social purpose.<\/p>\n

I’m in Chicago this morning, speaking on this very subject<\/a>. I’ll be focusing my discussion, in part, on this ongoing project<\/a>, but this is only one in a series<\/a> of efforts<\/a> that began with that chat with Gloria and the inspiration that spiraled out from there, so I thought that I might revisit – and continue to revisit, here – that journey. You know, to keep that inspiration going.<\/p>\n

Here’s where it started…<\/i><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I’m not easy to impress.<\/p>\n

That sounds pissy and arrogant, I know. But it’s true. Celebrities
\ndon’t impress me (which is not to say that I wouldn’t shriek a little
\nbit if I brushed sleeves with Josh Holloway, but that would be more
\nbecause of his lickability than his impressive acting ability). I’ve
\nencountered enough of them to know that they are usually shorter and
\nuglier and far less pleasant in person than they appear onscreen. And
\nin any case, the ability to stand in front of a camera and look
\nsurprised\/scared\/vague has never struck me as particularly impressive.<\/p>\n

Sure, there are many talented and accomplished actors out there, as
\nthere are talented and accomplished musicians and athletes and
\ncomedians (um, Jon Stewart? Dave Chapelle?) and astrophysicists.
\nIndeed, there are talented men and women in every field imaginable. But
\nthey are, still, just ordinary men and women and I’d need a bit more
\ninformation about them before I could count myself well and truly
\nimpressed. Are they thoughtful? Intelligent? Passionate? Do they care
\nabout things other than themselves? Do they try to make a meaningful,
\nconsidered difference in the world? (And no, driving a Prius doesn’t
\ncount here.) Are they good people, in the most nuanced and
\ncomprehensive sense of that word?<\/p>\n

(I should note that I make special exceptions for people who
\nmake extraordinary contributions to their field or to world history.
\nPicasso was an ass, Hemingway killed things and Mother
\nTeresa tended to excessive dogmatism – but to say that these
\nindividuals were merely impressive would be gross understatement.)<\/i><\/p>\n

My sense is that the stock of impressiveness of most of the more
\nfamous people in the world wouldn’t hold up under such interrogation.
\nBut (and I assure you that this is not shameless ass-kissing) many of
\nyou \u00ad- my virtual peers and friends – would. Which is one of the reasons why I’ve
\nbecome so committed to our little corner of the blogosphere: it’s a
\nspace full of intelligent, literate people who love their children
\ndeeply and who are passionately committed to doing the best possible
\njob raising those children and to doing what they can to make the world
\na better place for those children.<\/p>\n

It’s revolutionary, as some have already<\/a> said<\/a>. And it’s impressive. You<\/i> are impressive. Really impressive.
\"\"<\/a>
And you know what? Gloria Steinem <\/a>thinks so, too.<\/p>\n

She said so. On the telephone.<\/p>\n

As part of an effort to promote a new media project (Greenstone Media<\/a>: radio for women by women<\/i>) that she is involved with, I was invited to participate in a conference call with Ms. Steinem and<\/a> a<\/a> handful<\/a> of<\/a> other<\/a> bloggers<\/a>.
\nShe said a number of amazing, insightful, and inspirational things (as
\none would expect from one of the founders of the contemporary feminist
\nmovement) – some of which I’ll try to address in posts over the coming
\nweek or two – and she totally knocked my socks off and made me want to
\nbe a better feminist<\/a>.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
And by far the coolest thing that she said was this:
\nthat she saw the women (and many of the men) of the blogosphere as
\nbeing at the forefront of a new kind of revolutionary movement. A
\nmovement wherein we really talk to one another, and listen to one
\nanother. A movement wherein the highest premium is placed on telling
\nthe truth, and deriving inspiration and power from the truth. A
\nmovement that we further with every post that we write, with every
\nsupportive comment that we leave, with every empowering conversation
\nthat we spark and fuel and fan to a blaze. Our<\/i> movement.<\/p>\n

But she also said this: never forget that such a movement, based as
\nit is on dialogue and debate, can only ever be a support for action. It
\ncannot replace action. Don’t cocoon in your blogosphere, she said.
\nDon’t mistake speaking or writing for acting. Don’t just talk: do.<\/i><\/p>\n

So with that in mind, I have an assignment for
\nyou: write a post about a cause that you are
\npassionate about. Provide links and information and guidance for people
\nto actually follow up on your post and take some sort of action: where
\ncan they make a donation? Sign a petition? Volunteer? How can they help
\npromote your cause? Use this post as a catalyst for action – make it
\nyour mission to show, in whatever small way, how the blogosphere can
\nsupport real action in support of real causes. It doesn’t have to be
\nbig – you don’t have a start a fundraising drive from your blog
\n(although that would be cool), you just need to make a stab at showing
\nhow writing\/speaking\/blogging can support action. If you have already
\npromoted a cause through your blog, or do so on an ongoing basis (as I
\nknow may of you do), simply provide me with some relevant links and a
\ndescription of what you’ve been up to in the comments. Ditto if you
\nknow of someone else with a cause: do a post or post a comment with
\nlinks and info. Then, as always, I’ll compile the posts, etc. etc. and
\nwe shall be a beacon of light, a chorus of voices – cue choir – and we
\nwill have Done Something<\/i> and will be Doing Something<\/i> in addition to All This Talk<\/i>. And we’ll be even more impressive.<\/p>\n

And Gloria will be proud.<\/p>\n

The result of this rah-rah Just DO Something rally? This wonderful avalanche of posts<\/a>. Tomorrow, I’ll talk about how the Steinem-inspired Call To Action led to more wonderful projects, and how this all coalesced into ‘Giving Good Blog<\/a>.’<\/i><\/p>\n

PS: that ‘Just Do\/Write Something’ blogging assignment was a few years ago, but if you’re inspired by it, feel free to take it on. If you do, send me the link – I’d love to read it, and add you to my list of bloggers who ‘give good blog.’
<\/i><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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