What a week this will be. Today starts with the Question of the Month, a monthly bloghop started by Michael G. D'Agostino on his blog, A Life Examined. It's fun and simple so join up and find the list of others participants on Michael's Blog. This month's question:
“Have you ever met an idol/influence/someone you really admire? How did it go?”
I've never been one to idolize famous people or celebrities be they entertainers, sports figures or others who've gained fame. I've always discouraged my own children and students from doing so. It's better to admire people you actually know are the genuine article. I admired my father and especially when I had my own children. He dropped out of high school to serve in WWII. Without a high school diploma when he returned, he and my mother bought a rundown farm. He worked construction 8 to 10 hours five days. He'd rise at 4 am, take care of farm chores, go work construction, and then come home and do more work on the farm. He did it for years until the farm grew large enough to support the family. We worked it as a family farm, all of us putting in full time hours even while attending school and playing sports. Through it all, my father lectured us on the importance of education and how going to college would mean we never had to work as hard as he did to make a living. And we never missed a Sunday of church. A strong work ethic and the value of education? My father taught us by example and word how to be successes in life. I only hope to be as good a parent as he was.
In the writing world, I've met three authors I really admired when I first started this career. They are talented, but what disappointments they were as people. No names will be mentioned here but probably you've heard of them. There are often actors or musical entertainers that I admire their talent but not them as people.
Writing News
One of the speakers I met at the last writing conference I attended was Jane Friedman. She has a lot of experience in the publishing business. On her blog and at her speaking engagements, she shares her expertise on social media. I found this article, Why You Should Join All Social Media Networks, interesting though I'm not I agree with it. What do you think? Should you make a profile in every social media there is even if you don't keep it active?
My publisher is not selling my latest release on Amazon after keeping it exclusive to the NCP site for a while. The Outlaw's Prize is the first in The Galactic Outlaw series of my newest space opera romance worlds of the future. The Outlaw's Rebel Lady, the second book, is in editing at the moment.
"As long as the Sun shines, one does not ask for the Moon." Russian Proverb
Personal News
This is my last post of the week as I'll be enjoying spring break with my daughter. It's going to be a beautiful week weather wise so I'm sure we'll be getting some outings in.
Next weekend marks the start of Daylight Savings Time already. The old spring forward means we get up an hour earlier. Some wisdom on that from The Old Farmer's Almanac:
Lose an hour in the morning and you'll be all day hunting for it.
Enjoy time with your daughter!
ReplyDeleteI had to really think about my answer this month, as like you, I don't really idolize anyone. Went with meeting an author I admire and it was a much better experience than yours.
I don't think I idolize anyone - definitely admire and/or am a fan of some people, though. I've met a number of authors, and they were all gracious.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the week with your daughter!
How fun with the time with your daughter! Enjoy! It is sad when people we might have respected turn out to be not quite the way we might have imagined them. Your dad though sounded like a gem of a man, a hard worker with integrity and honor!
ReplyDeletebetty
re: They are talented, but what disappointments they were as people.
ReplyDeleteHow interesting that you said that. Having been a newsletter editor for a fairly big SFF newsletter I've had the chance to meet and talk to several big name authors.
I was surprised how mean and surly a few of them were. Thankfully it was balanced by other authors who were kind and generous people.
Enjoy your time with daughter, they are precious.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
Enjoy your break. The weather looks fantastic here today as well. I hear my bike calling!
ReplyDeleteAs for social media, blogging is all I'm doing currently and I sometimes think I should do more, but there is just too much going on without adding more to my to do list.
Hope you have a great time with your daughter. Good way to be not to idolize celebrities and such too.
ReplyDeleteI love the story about your father. That's definitely someone to idolize! I don't think I really idolize anyone. I'm definitely a fan of some people, even slightly obsessive, but it just isn't the same thing, I think. Like you said, it's more about the talent than the people, because we don't actually know them.
ReplyDeleteHi Susan - yes isn't it going to be wonderful Spring is in the air and we get that extra hour at night ... love the change ... Spring really starts greening up rapidly in April. Enjoy this week ... I've never idolised others .. though there are some who do amaze me with their practical wisdom ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteMy father was a hard worker and I always admired him.
ReplyDeleteI've met so many authors in the past 10 years and not all of them were nice people either.
I've never idolized anyone either except my parents. It's "ordinary" people who often do/have done extraordinary things. But on my blog I did write about meeting someone famous who turned out to be a nice person.
ReplyDeleteAs for social media... blogging and facebook is about all I can handle. I have a twitter account but I have yet to figure out how to work it, or if it's important to learn.
Enjoy spring break with your daughter! My little guy has two weeks off this year since they had no more snow days. I met George R.R. Martin once and I lost my voice!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I idolize anyone. Well, maybe Joss Whedon. I did have a few encounters with a famous local author in New Hampshire, whose work I tend to enjoy greatly, and I was a total spaz each and every time.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your time with your daughter!
I find it difficult not to admire celebrities we see all the time on the TV or in print. But it is so much better to idolize real people in our lives.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy spring break with your daughter!
I totally agree with people we admire for their talents are typically disappointing as people.
ReplyDeleteI can't see many celebrities that I'd want to admire. I do admire some historical figures, but even then, history's often revised so much that I'm not sure if the "heroes" of the past were really as great as they're purported to be.
ReplyDeleteI've never been one to idolize people either. I've seen some famous people in person, but never actually talked to them.
ReplyDeleteNow that's a good story about meeting an idol. Your dad sounds way better than any celebrity anyway. Have fun Spring Break-ing with your daughter :)
ReplyDeleteI don't idolize many people either. I met an author that I kind of admired years ago, and I was disappointed. My dad was my hero when I was a kid, too.
ReplyDeleteAs for social media - I have a few inactive spots out there, but I feel guilty about them, not good about them.
Hope you have a wonderful spring break with your daughter!
Your father sounded like an amazing person, I wish I could have learned from him growing up.
ReplyDeleteA Life Examined
I agree with your philosophy about idols. As a kid though, I kind of idolized my paternal grandfather. He was hardworking and to me, just plain cool! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by my blog for Hilary's interview, and also for checking out my guest post. I appreciate it! Enjoy spring break!
Your father is the kind of man that the real America was built on. The celebrities often epitomize the fantasy of America but don't really contribute that much of concrete value. Good person to admire I think. I feel the same way about my father.
ReplyDeleteArlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
Susan, my parents would put a Farmer's Almanac in our stockings for Christmas when we were kids. We loved it. Amazing weather predictions too.
ReplyDeleteYour father definitely sounds admirable. Work ethic and the value of education and church are things we need to see more of in today's society.
ReplyDeleteNot looking forward to Daylight Savings, or as I like to think of it, the 30 days I turn into a coffee-powered zombie.
ReplyDeleteI love your mentality about celebrities. It's true, just because someone's great at acting or at sports it doesn't make them a great person. Your father, on the other hand, is definitely someone who deserves respect and admiration.
I don't really fangirl over people either. Not musicians, not actors. I would probably fangirl inside about Stephen King, though. Can't think of anyone else that would be the same.
ReplyDeleteBlech. Daylight savings.
I don't agree with Jane about the social media platforms. I don't go beyond Facebook (one page), Twitter, Google+, and Goodreads. I have a profile on Library Thing but haven't kept it up.
ReplyDeleteI worked at a big sports apparel company and had the oppt to meet a lot of athletes. golfers, tennis stars, basketball players and football players. What shocked me most was how FUN and funny they were. In my head I expected them to be uptight or sticklers for protocol but in my office they were cracking jokes and laughing like...well like regular people and I didn't expect that. I ended up becoming super cool with one of the football players and he sent me a case of buttercrunch cookies because he remembered we both talked about it from our high school lunch days.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the time with your daughter. Is it a good thing if your publisher doesn't release your latest on amazon? Hoping that means more for you. We have 70-80's expected all week and I plan to get some of that sunshine by going out more. Not ready for the time change though
Hope you have a wonderful spring break and enjoy being with your daughter. The weather is indeed wonderful today, March 9th, and I'm heading outside. I met Mary Higgins Clark earlier in her career and was spellbound. I've learned a lot about plot and pacing from reading her novels. I've enjoyed the recent blog hop and connecting with other bloggers online.
ReplyDeleteI really like Jane Friedman's blog. It must have been interesting to hear her speak in person. She's someone who has transitioned well from traditional publishing into the current environment. I wonder why she gave that advice about social media? I've opened accounts on many of them and done nothing with it, don't even know my passwords anymore. I can't see where it's been a valuable exercise at all, maybe because you never know which one will work for you or be the next big thing?
ReplyDeleteHappy Spring break!!!!
I love the story of your father's hard work. It's definitely worth admiration.
ReplyDeleteHope you've been having a fun spring break with your daughter!
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings about that social media article. On one hand, it makes sense to reserve your preferred username, in case you end up liking that platform. On the other hand, though...balancing more than a couple social media platforms is already hard enough, at least for me. Not sure it'd be worth setting up accounts everywhere, only to do nothing with most of 'em.