I had an eye-opening experience this evening. It wasn’t a new networking software or a panel of influential blogger. No, it was much simpler than that. I had dinner with a work colleague of mine and his wife. He’s the head of the new business (read: sales) of my firm, and has been in the business for a long time. He’s in his mid 60’s, and was close to retirement until the market tanked. He invited me over for dinner with he and his wife. And I must say, I learned more about networking and business practices tonight than I ever have before. If tonight was any indication, Gen-Y shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the Boomers, but rather look to learn from their wealth of experience.
networking
Last weekend, I went to the Harvest of Hope Fest in St. Augustine, Florida. While I am still physically in pain, mentally I returned refreshed, recharged, and in an overall better mood. (I also came back having picked up smoking again, but that’s not important here).
Now, as a good geek and internet junkie, I brought both my smartphone and my netbook, along with all the chords and chargers to make sure I stayed connected. Did I? No. But not for the reasons you think. I got a good signal, was able to connect, and do whatever I needed to. But, unbeknownst to me, I went “off the grid”. And it was fantastic.
I kept my phone off and in my truck, only to turn it on when I called my wife. I fired up the netbook and uploaded each day’s pictures before I went to sleep, but that was mainly to keep the space free on my SD card. I barely checked Twitter, and I never once loaded Facebook or my Google reader. I had no desire to, really. Why? I was there with both old friends and new faces, enjoying what was going on around me. There was music, laughter, debauchery, and a little bit of insanity. And I loved every minute of it.
Don’t get me wrong, I think social media is great. I’ve made some great connections, and met a few people I truly consider friends that I otherwise would have never known. And it’s been a great way to keep up with people, esp. given my rather hectic life. I love using Twitter to both keep a quick check on what’s going on, and also to help people with computer issues (which is something I truly enjoy). Hell, I met my wife on MySpace, so I don’t have an ill word towards any of it. But I’ve noticed that more and more, social media and networking is replacing actual human interaction. If your first thought to any interaction or thought is to blog, facebook, or tweet about it, maybe you should look around and see if there is something missing. Why not have that conversation with someone else? So that person that you keep saying you’re going to get together with? Don’t send them a message on MySpace or write on their Facebook wall. Call them. On the phone. And go out and have lunch, or a cup of coffee. You’ll be surprised to see what a difference the real human interaction will make.
I am a freelance web monkey in Tampa, FL. I am heavily tattoo'd, I sleep too little, I drink too much coffee, smoke entirely too many cigarettes, but otherwise do my thing. My littleman > you.
