I Learn From You

I wrote this a couple of years ago, but it captures the essence of digital-dave-learning...I learn from you.

The Yellow Brick Road

....Another Six Degrees of Blogging Adventure.

Today's journey will be magical, mystical and liberating.  First, I need to instill a thought about our preferred method of travel and then quickly instill a more dominant one.

Do you remember how Dorothy returned to Kansas?  Ok, hold that thought.  Because I can no more wear women's apparel than drink a glass of battery acid, we must overlay the visual of soft, worn and comfortable red leather cowboy boots onto the screen.  Whew!  I feel much better.

Other than early Clint Eastwood movies, no movie has touched my heart over the years more than The Wizard of Oz.  It has provided so many personal metaphors and has been such a source of inspiration that, "Oz is the Yellow Brick Road," became the mantra for the journey of my life.  So, come along with Toto, Dorothy and I and lets explore the Yellow Brick Road.

Man on the Silver Mountain by Rainbow is playing on our iPod as we click our boot heels three times. There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.

Fog lifts from the yellow cobblestone and a gentleman appears.  "Welcome to the Nest!" Tony Clark greets us with warm enthusiasm.  He then asks, "Why Settle for Just One Path?" This question and the ensuing conversation captures my attention and holds me spellbound.  Toto's ears perk.  I thought I was the only person in the world who could not zero in on a clear understanding of passion and work!!  Toto nods.  There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.

Ronnie James Dio belts out Catch The Rainbow, rainbow, rainbow... on the iPod as Chris Cree talks about work and passion.  "I’ve been doing quite a bit of introspection these days. It’s not that I’m narcissistic or anything. I just keep hearing folks say over and over again that you will be most successful career wise if you work where your passion is." Yep brother, I hear that too!  Chris mentions that we should check out another Chris.  There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home...

A bit further down the road and we meet Chris Johnston from Chris's Blog.  Chris relays the question, "Is this job for the money or does it give them fulfillment in life?" Chris is actually referring to Noah  Kagan's post at Okdork.com, The Paycheck vs. The Life. The discussion that follows this post is quite lively.  There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home...

..." Danger, danger the Queen's about to kill
There's a stranger, stranger and life about to spill..."  more iPod, more Rainbow, more Yellow Brick Road.  ..."Therefore, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Universitartus Committiartum E Pluribus Unum, I hereby...change directions."  We can do that in cyberspace, really, we can. I can't seem to continue via links with the passion/work discussion so I throw out a few sandbags and change course.  Chris tells us about Elli and Elli tells us about freedom and inspiration.  Elli gazes down at Toto and then back at us, "you guys need to see Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools." I'm thinking that Dorothy has seen it all but she humors me.  There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.

Ritchie B jams on Cold Hearted Woman as we read Kevin's post - Consensus Web Filters.  Kevin, who was the founding executive editor of Wired has a very interesting site and it is well worth spending some time exploring.  The connection to Wired magazine strikes a chord of ironee today.  I just started reading Chris Anderson's The Long Tail this morning.  Chris is the editor in chief of Wired.  Toto notices my expression and barks, "you're not in Kansas anymore David."  There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.

The three of us swirl round in circles through cyberspace.  Cows, barns and flying monkeys pass us by.  (Didn't those flying monkeys creep you out?)  The iPod is gone but music begins to fill the cloudscape.  Jimi Hendrix picks a few strings as Judy Garland eases into Somewhere Over the Rainbow.  Dorothy smiles.  Tota barks.  I cry. Judy and Jimi are beautiful man.  My soul lifts as we descend.  We are back on The Yellow Brick Road, right where it intersects with Rt. 66.  Christine Kane stands there holding her guitar.  She looks at Dorothy eyes wide open. They start to talk.  I start to walk down the Road.  Toto follows me.

Jimi...Judy?

"Somewhere over the rainbow
  Way up high,
  There's a land that I heard of
  Once in a lullaby.  

Somewhere over the rainbow
  Skies are blue,
  And the dreams that you dare to dream
  Really do come true.

  Someday I'll wish upon a star

  And wake up where the clouds are far
  Behind me.
  Where troubles melt like lemon drops
  Away above the chimney tops
  That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow

  Bluebirds fly.
  Birds fly over the rainbow.
  Why then, oh why can't I?

  If happy little bluebirds fly

  Beyond the rainbow
  Why, oh why can't I?"

Dave Rothacker

....Another Six Degrees of Blogging Adventure.

Today's journey will be magical, mystical and liberating.  First, I need to instill a thought about our preferred method of travel and then quickly instill a more dominant one.

Do you remember how Dorothy returned to Kansas?  Ok, hold that thought.  Because I can no more wear women's apparel than drink a glass of battery acid, we must overlay the visual of soft, worn and comfortable red leather cowboy boots onto the screen.  Whew!  I feel much better.

Other than early Clint Eastwood movies, no movie has touched my heart over the years more than The Wizard of Oz.  It has provided so many personal metaphors and has been such a source of inspiration that, "Oz is the Yellow Brick Road," became the mantra for the journey of my life.  So, come along with Toto, Dorothy and I and lets explore the Yellow Brick Road.

Man on the Silver Mountain by Rainbow is playing on our iPod as we click our boot heels three times. There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.

Fog lifts from the yellow cobblestone and a gentleman appears.  "Welcome to the Nest!" Tony Clark greets us with warm enthusiasm.  He then asks, "Why Settle for Just One Path?" This question and the ensuing conversation captures my attention and holds me spellbound.  Toto's ears perk.  I thought I was the only person in the world who could not zero in on a clear understanding of passion and work!!  Toto nods.  There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.

Ronnie James Dio belts out Catch The Rainbow, rainbow, rainbow... on the iPod as Chris Cree talks about work and passion.  "I’ve been doing quite a bit of introspection these days. It’s not that I’m narcissistic or anything. I just keep hearing folks say over and over again that you will be most successful career wise if you work where your passion is." Yep brother, I hear that too!  Chris mentions that we should check out another Chris.  There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home...

A bit further down the road and we meet Chris Johnston from Chris's Blog.  Chris relays the question, "Is this job for the money or does it give them fulfillment in life?" Chris is actually referring to Noah  Kagan's post at Okdork.com, The Paycheck vs. The Life. The discussion that follows this post is quite lively.  There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home...

..." Danger, danger the Queen's about to kill
There's a stranger, stranger and life about to spill..."  more iPod, more Rainbow, more Yellow Brick Road.  ..."Therefore, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Universitartus Committiartum E Pluribus Unum, I hereby...change directions."  We can do that in cyberspace, really, we can. I can't seem to continue via links with the passion/work discussion so I throw out a few sandbags and change course.  Chris tells us about Elli and Elli tells us about freedom and inspiration.  Elli gazes down at Toto and then back at us, "you guys need to see Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools." I'm thinking that Dorothy has seen it all but she humors me.  There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.

Ritchie B jams on Cold Hearted Woman as we read Kevin's post - Consensus Web Filters.  Kevin, who was the founding executive editor of Wired has a very interesting site and it is well worth spending some time exploring.  The connection to Wired magazine strikes a chord of ironee today.  I just started reading Chris Anderson's The Long Tail this morning.  Chris is the editor in chief of Wired.  Toto notices my expression and barks, "you're not in Kansas anymore David."  There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.

The three of us swirl round in circles through cyberspace.  Cows, barns and flying monkeys pass us by.  (Didn't those flying monkeys creep you out?)  The iPod is gone but music begins to fill the cloudscape.  Jimi Hendrix picks a few strings as Judy Garland eases into Somewhere Over the Rainbow.  Dorothy smiles.  Tota barks.  I cry. Judy and Jimi are beautiful man.  My soul lifts as we descend.  We are back on The Yellow Brick Road, right where it intersects with Rt. 66.  Christine Kane stands there holding her guitar.  She looks at Dorothy eyes wide open. They start to talk.  I start to walk down the Road.  Toto follows me.

Jimi...Judy?

"Somewhere over the rainbow
  Way up high,
  There's a land that I heard of
  Once in a lullaby.  

Somewhere over the rainbow
  Skies are blue,
  And the dreams that you dare to dream
  Really do come true.

  Someday I'll wish upon a star

  And wake up where the clouds are far
  Behind me.
  Where troubles melt like lemon drops
  Away above the chimney tops
  That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow

  Bluebirds fly.
  Birds fly over the rainbow.
  Why then, oh why can't I?

  If happy little bluebirds fly

  Beyond the rainbow
  Why, oh why can't I?"

Dave Rothacker

Comments

[Steve Sherlock]

Dave, thank you for another wonderful journey through OZ.

[Rosa Say]

So well said Dave, your article has proved to be a timeless one!

I remember reading this when you had first written it, and at the time my world was very blog-centric: Blogs and "static websites" were the only sights within my personal online field of vision. In reading this again today, I think about how other web apps (such as those we now refer to as social media) have begun to wave their welcoming flags so that my peripheral vision has widened to embrace them too. Utterly amazing.

The yellow brick road is paved with gold, worn smooth with the aloha of human connectivity and relationship.

[Dwayne Melancon]

When I was a kid, I hid behind our rocking chair any time the wicked witch came on the screen. Likewise, I have always had to push myself to deal with difficult people at work, though I still sometimes hide behind the rocking chair.
But sometimes I wake up and realize the peril was all in my mind, and I can make it through.

Thanks for this great post - you made me think.