Finding a Focus

   Every blog needs a purpose.  Well it can be fun for a little while to read the random ramblings of a person spewing thoughts onto a page, those blogs that gain faithful followers are the ones that have an interesting running dialogue with those viewers on a certain topic.  Now, I am not saying that topic has to be awe-inspiring or revolutionary. But it does have to run along a common line of thought.  The difficult part is finding something worth talking about day after day that will hold a viewer's attention for days to come.

   I've been giving my blog a lot of thought over the past week, but have yet to sit down and actually type those thoughts onto paper.  I think, "What a great blog idea!" and then within minutes it has escaped my mind.  I guess it wasn't so great after all.  I think the major problem with blogging is that bloggers rarely reveal their entirely true self to the world. We put on masks based on the situations around us, and I think we

I like pictures, so here is one of Toad Harbor on Oneida Lake
that I took on a live shot today.

do that for the internet world as well.  Your blog followers will probably never meet you face-to-face, and that can be an extremely liberating thought.  It is easy to appear educated and thoughtful on a form you can check and recheck before submitting to the world.  On a blog you can give off an air of indifference, a persona people idolize because they never get the chance to see you up-close and realize how ordinary you find yourself to be.  I know that at times I will probably use this blog to sound far more worldly or mature than I can ever possibly be at the age of 20, but I promise you I will do my best to only present me in a fair and honest light.

   So, what will my blog's focus be? Good question.  For some time, I think I will deviate from topic to topic, much like my mind often does.  I imagine I will eventually find something I am truly passionate about, and I will use that passion to spur many a post.  But until then, you might get a reflective post like this, some commentary on society today, or even a complaint about something I encountered in my daily wanderings.  Don't be surprised if an occasional post pops up whining about the life of a tall person.  Being a six-foot tall self-described "monster" of a person is certainly one of my favorite things to whine and share anecdotes about. But hang tight, and before long, the purpose of this blog will reveal itself, and I'll probably be just as surprised as any of you.

Human Transformer: Half Student, Half Social Media Persona

Cyborg style brought to you by Google Glass
and yours truly.

   I've never been the type of person to put myself out there and broadcast my thoughts for anyone to hear.  I didn't get a Facebook until halfway through my senior year of high school, and have only ever added people to my friend's list if they sent the request.  My Twitter existed merely to catch up on the latest news across the world, and my Tumblr hasn't been updated in months.  I guess you could say I have always been a passive observer to the rise of social media.
   After that oh so confident introduction, it might come as surprise to some that I decided to pursue a career in broadcast journalism.  I have always loved the thrill that comes from chasing a story with unresolved questions and even getting up in front of a class to deliver a speech I toiled over for so long.  And when I got into the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, how could I refuse?
   Ever since stepping into Newhouse, I have found myself constantly stepping outside my natural comfort boundaries that had sheltered me for so long in high school.  I'm calling up sources and asking the tough questions and joining fellow mid-sized reporters at campaign events and press conferences, edging my questions in among the more seasoned reporters.  And even though I am edging towards producing, even that has pushed me to think beyond my own little world of friends and homework and tests and straight As.
   And now here I am.  Taking a concept I have tried and failed to start privately for years to a public forum.  Posting my thoughts of the day on twitter and letting the world know every skill and job I have ever possessed on LinkedIn.  Joining Tweet chats and chiming in with people far above my skill level. Why subject myself to this torture of being a public internet presence? Because I have to.  Because the internet is the future for broadcast journalism, and anyone blindly clinging on to the belief that all this social media will soon disappear is about to be left in the dust.  I almost was.  But instead, I decided to bite the bullet and sign up for a few social media classes.  And look where those classes have already taken me.  Today I got to try out Google Glass, a prototype tool I should never have been within 100 feet of.  Instead, I was given the reins and took them not only out of the classroom but into the streets, inspiring a few questionable stares that didn't make me cower in fear and embarrassment like they used to.  Because the only way to invite success into your life is to put yourself out there and get noticed. And that's what I intend to do.
  If you have stuck it through this much then I feel the need to thank you for your attention.  My future posts won't always be this long or this self-reflective.  I can't even tell you how often they will come.  But I can assure you they will come, and if you care to listen, keep tuning in.  I hope I make it worth your while.  Senior year is already proving to be quite the journey, and maybe you would like to travel it with me.