I’m reading a freebie book I picked up at the last Social Media Breakfast. I’m not too jazzed about the book. It’s called Blog Blazers. I was hoping for new insights into the world of blogging but the whole book consists of straight Q & A with “top” bloggers and no analysis.
Several of the questions had to do with success and how top bloggers measure success. There were a lot of different answers, but many understandably mentioned earnings and ad affiliates and unique visitors and RSS subscribers. I’ve been thinking this is all very well and good but I’m not a brand, I’m a person.
A couple weeks ago I received an email that has redefined my own definition of success. What’s more, it has reinspired me and made everything I’ve done here at the Fishbowl worthwhile.
I’m posting it here with permission because I hope it inspires some of you too:
Dear Andrea,
This email is quite overdue. My apologies. I need to thank you. I grew up in a household that was, well to put it mildly not particularly pleasant. So when summer was approaching last spring I was quite unsure how I was going to entertain my son who was 4 at the time. I didn’t want to farm him out to camps for the entire summer but I had little to draw on from my childhood.
My wife has little time off and I am a business owner so time is generally tight. I decided to take the lion’s share of the summer off leaving the business to my employees to run. Using many of your suggestions, my son had the best summer ever. So did I. We have hiked in Gatineau Park, gone frogging, fishing and generally kicked back in every wild space around Ottawa. We have gone to all the public beaches, built forts and painted masterpieces.
So all I can say is thank you. When you are ignored as a child you really have few good experiences to pass on to your children. I have 2 boys now and I am embarrassed to say that I have to research diligently if I want to be a good father. Unfortunately a quirk of heredity will likely not allow me to know my boys as men or as fathers themselves. I hope I am someone that they will remember.
Finally and apology for the anonymity. Although I am far from famous, I am somewhat known throughout the community.
I am forever in your debt.[name of author removed]
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I hope he knows what a great dad he is, and I hope his sons appreciate the effort he’s making.
