Socialites and Solitude

It has been a few weeks since my last entry and when I look back to the last time I posted it seems like months have passed. During those few weeks I have done a million things to get ready to deploy and experienced a million different emotions as well. Now I am sitting in Baltimore, Maryland for a few days before I ship out to Baghdad.

I must admit that it feels a little weird to actually relax and I am not sure I am really relaxing yet. However, it is the first time in probably three weeks that I have not had too much to do in too little time. I had a week of insanity to get out the door and once I got to my pre-deployment training in San Antonio I was so immersed in that environment that it feels like forever since I just sat down with nothing to do. It also struck me that this is the first time in a very long time that I have actually had an extended period of time to myself. I spend every second I can with my wife and we love spending time with family and friends. I am a social person and love being around other people so that is generally what I spend my time doing.

I knew that I felt a little strange being out here in Baltimore and I knew that it was something beyond the mixed feelings of heading out on a deployment. I finally placed it that I am just not used to having this much time in solitude. I usually settle for my car rides to and from work, an hour or so playing guitar, reading or writing, and workouts to get my fix of alone time but being alone for days on end has definitely changed my perspective and allowed me to do a bit of thinking. Here are a few random musings I have come up with in my last couple days.

Why do we drink - I heard a theory that part of man's affinity with drinking alcohol is that we get sick of people and that we spend more time with ourselves than anyone else so throwing a few back is our escape from ourselves. I don't know how valid that theory is or even how much I agree with it, but I do take part with the assumption that we truly spend a lot of time with ourselves. Sure we are engulfed in our day to day consciousness, but how often do we sit back and really try and get to know ourselves? I know that is a big part of the reason I started BadskiBlog was to do some introspection on a more regular basis. However, there is definitely something to be said for the forcing function that is solitude on looking within. Given my nature, I can't really see myself seeking out days on end for introspection. However, I think that I will acknowledge their importance to a healthy understanding of one's self and I certainly will make the most of situations like the one I am in now that arise in the future.

External observations - I have noticed the last day or so how much more aware I am of the situations around me. I am the kind of person that really gets engulfed by those I spend time with. Most times when I meet people I instantly forget their name because most times I am not even listening to it. I am too busy taking in their expressions, the sound of their voice, their energy, etc. trying to rapidly form my interpretation of who they are and what they are about. I have always been that way. It is no surprise that this not only causes me to be terrible with names, but also to be in a "bubble" where I am consumed only with those I am in close contact with. I think it often leads me to be oblivious to things outside that bubble. Being alone the last couple days I am shocked at how much I have been picking up around me. It is amazing how much you can learn about people and the way they interact by just being observant. Not weirdo spy style or anything, but just being present with the actions going on around you. So much of life revolves around successful human interactions and having a better understanding of them can only help you to create more successful interactions of your own . I would like to make it a point from this point forward to break outside my bubble so to speak and consciously take in the lessons around me.

Trust and interdependency - Not only has being away from my wife made me realize how much I depend on her, but it has also made me take note how much trust we place on people we do not know. It is truly amazing how interconnected humans truly are. Just taking my arrival in Baltimore as an example, I trust that the pilot will land me safely. I trust that the airport will transport a firearm and deliver it to me successfully. I trust that the cab driver will take me where I asked to go. I am sure some of the readers are not finding this topic too earth shattering but I think it is really crazy when you take a step back and realize how much we lean on people we do not have any personal connection with. I think that is part of the reason that Americans fear places like Iraq or Afghanistan so much. In those countries the trust amongst nameless contacts is no where near that of our nation's. Subconsciously we are aware of the absence of the inherent trust amongst strangers. Anyone who has travelled abroad can relate to the feeling they had when they were put in situation where that trust was questioned. I think that is part of the greatness and quality of life that we take for granted; the ability to rely on those we do not know to better the lives of everyone.

Tweens, Emo Kids, And Why I Am Liking Twitter More & More

I must confess that I was one of the people who "got" Twitter right away. The social networking aspect of it's followers and following capability combined with the transparency to others just made sense to me when a friend introduced me to it. I have already written about why Twitter is great on BadskiBlog before:

I have been using Twitter for a few months and since I have started I have run into so many people who are talking about it and then they ask the same question. They always ask "what is the point of Twitter? I don't get it." Then I jump in like a huge computer nerd and try to explain what I think its all about, and from there its almost a perfect split. People either get it and think its brilliant or they still think its stupid. I don't think Twitter is about tweeting (140 character micro blog posts). I think Twitter capitalizes and makes visual our natural tendency as humans to group with other like-minded people. However, Twitter enhances this by allowing people who have never and would never have met to become linked. By allowing you to see who someone is following and all the people who are following them you can see how the cliched six degrees of separation begins to manifest itself online through this amazing social networking vehicle.

Honestly I don't really think I truly understood the power of twitter until I got a new phone. I recently bought the new Google phone available on T-Mobile. The G3 or MyTouch is a pretty badass phone. It is Google's equivalent of the iPhone, except it is "open source." Or at least that is what a phone nerd told me. Which basically means that the majority of the applications are free to download. Good for me I guess. The phone has more capability that I have ever had in a phone and I have pretty much been a pseudo-phone nerd for the past two weeks. I downloaded Twitter's application called Twidgit Lite which basically updates you of unread tweets and allows you to quickly tweet on the go. I thought maybe I would tweet something here and there and that would be the extent of my usage, but honestly it is way more than that. Here are the few key advantages I see to having, and being an active Twitterer, on your phone:

1. Information Pull - You receive tweets only on people you follow. If you don't think they add value to your daily dose of information consumption you don't follow them. You are no longer being bombarded with unwanted or worse unwarranted information. I only pull what information I want. For the newbie to Twitter who only view this as a 140 character status update for tweens and emo kids I am sorry to say that you are mistaken. Most bloggers, news outlets, etc. post active links to their content or other people's content they deem important and/or relevant. So instead of browsing five articles or blog posts in an hour I can now 'pull' hundreds of micro blogs or tweets to me with links to the full paged content.

2. Information Filtering - Of the information that I pull, I am obviously not going to read it all. If I read everything I wouldn't be able to do anything else, like some phone zombie (my wife probably argues that this is the case at times). More information is available today than ever before in the history of the world. Tomorrow will likely be the same given the absence of a massive catastrophe. As time goes on and technology continues to shrink the work by expanding our interconnectivity as a species, information overload will become an increasing problem. Your ability to navigate what information is valuable to you will become more and more important. Twitter allows me to do that. Just because I follow someone on Twitter doesn't mean that I am going to like all the content they distribute. I am sure if you are reading this there are probably plenty of BadskiBlog posts that aren't your cup of tea (insert any metal post here!). Twitter allows me to quickly scan a short description of the full length content and decide in a split second whether or not it is worth my time. If you do this on your phone you can literally fill your down time throughout the day with some information mastication. Your tweet inventory is likely to always have some information you deem important for you. Great for those trying to live the Pareto principle (book review to come on 80/20 Principle).

3. Information Sourcing - Well won't I just get stuck in a tiny microcosm of the world reading the same people's opinions over and over. Short answer is no. The transparency of Twitter allows you to see others who are following the people you are following. If you want you can follow them and navigate through some of their content. Or for the lazy people out there you can merely sit back and wait for the people you are following to acknowledge someone in a tweet. By replying to someone's tweet you will start your tweet with @randoguysnamehere which will allow others to know who you are citing as well messaging the person you cited. Kind of confusing but when you see it in action you will know what I am talking about. This allows you to see who people you are following deem important enough or relevant enough to interact with. Pretty interesting stuff going on and an opportunity to weave your way through peoples soft connections and into some new information or content.

If you haven't gotten on Twitter I recommend it. You might get some information out of the deal or worst case you become a tween emo kid.

Twitter For Entrepreneurs

I have been using Twitter for a few months and since I have started I have run into so many people who are talking about it and then they ask the same question. They always ask "what is the point of Twitter? I don't get it." Then I jump in like a huge computer nerd and try to explain what I think its all about, and from there its almost a perfect split. People either get it and think its brilliant or they still think its stupid. I don't think Twitter is about tweeting (140 character micro blog posts). I think Twitter capitalizes and makes visual our natural tendency as humans to group with other like-minded people. However, Twitter enhances this by allowing people who have never and would never have met to become linked. By allowing you to see who someone is following and all the people who are following them you can see how the cliche'd six degrees of separation begins to manifest itself online through this amazing social networking vehicle.

Well if you are searching for like minded people or mentors that are entrepreneurs then I have found the list for you. I found this slide show on BusinessWeek the other day that lists the top 20 entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. You can check it out here. I followed the majority of these folks tonight and already have had more than a few followers pick me up. Could be some potential BadskiBlog readers, could be bloggers that I want to read, could be future Checking For Charity donors, could be future employers, could be potential business partners. Who knows. Worst case is I will be exposed to some new information to digest via the web. Below is a sample of the kinds of people on the top 20 list.

Is Drinking An Investment?

Today a friend stopped by for a drink and to BS for a bit. After he left I got to thinking about two topics that rarely intersect; alcohol and personal finance. There are a million finance pundits and gurus out there who preach the uberfrugal approach to personal finance and want you to live on tuna and wonder bread. To these finance "experts," anything that does not directly improve your net worth is a financial sin and therefore must avoided at all costs. Something like buying a case of beer everything month is viewed as an unnecessary expense and nothing more. I am stepping on my virtual soapbox today not to advocate drinking, but to challenge that lifeless view on personal finance and propose a slightly refracted viewpoint on the subject.

I am not a scientist, but I imagine that the devastating effects of alcohol abuse can affect all human beings regardless of race, religion, gender, etc. It is the same non discriminating factor that makes alcohol so dangerous that also serves as the source of my argument that even drinking can be an investment. All kinds of people drink. Having a drink serves as common ground and a social expression across the globe.

Our lives revolve around social connections. We are social creatures that thrive on interaction with other human beings. Having a drink serves as a common action or reason to meet up. How many times have you said to even your best of friends, "we should get together to talk tonight." A little awkward especially for males. Getting together to have a drink is the lowest common denominator excuse for getting together for no reason other than to converse. Through communication we build relationships that not only open the doors for opportunities in the future, but make our lives enjoyable and worth living in the first place.

Is it that far of a stretch to say that having a beer is not only the farthest thing from a waste of money, but an investment into the quality of your life and the expansion of your social network? I can here the anti alcohol police coming at me from a mile away, but alcohol is not the point. The point is that the traditional approach to how you spend your hard earned dollar is typically a linear thought process that realistically just isn't that simple. You can substitute the alcohol with dinner, running, racquetball, or anything else that is an expense financially yet an investment socially. Being a guy that loves business and finance yet hates numbers and math I find that the status quo advice is often way too calculated. Let's blur the lines, lets get a little fuzzy, lets talk about the art instead of the science. If everything was linear or a calculation then it would just be "the way." The fact is as humans our lives are based on emotions, on our worldview, on biases, on the information at hand, on relationships. Invest in things that make you a better person to be around and things that facilitate your interaction with other people. Not only will it make your life more enjoyable, the intangible benefits are bountiful as well.