4,105 Balloons

4,105 balloons. 4,105 dreams. The number represents each person at CBU and each balloon represents their dream. But how can that be? I fee like just on my own I have 4,105 dreams.

Sure, my dreams have very much changed over the years and many have faded. I used to dream of being in a rock band, of playing college ball or going to the Olympics with my horse… but things happen, injuries occur, paths change and before you know it you wind up feeling like you have no dreams at all.

So then what do you do when you come to this place? Everything you have ever wished for is gone. Everything you have worked hard for no longer matters. The time you spent on it seems wasted and whatever you do from that point on seems useless.

If you can’t tell, I have been in this place; on more than one occasion I might add. It is not a fun place to be in; dark and unsure. Audrey Hepburn put it ever so well in her role as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s when she said, “The blues are because you're getting fat and maybe it's been raining too long, you're just sad that's all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're afraid of.” I feel like I have often been in this state where the mean reds sneak up on me. Depression sets in and before you know it you are feeling completely empty. This is truly one of the most difficult places to be, easiest places to fall and hardest to get out of. But it is possible.

It took me reaching my lowest of lows to realize that God has a bigger plan for me; His dream [will]. It took me a long time to realize it and to be okay with it. At times I still struggle with it and those darn mean reds sneak up, but I know that I am where He wants me to be and doing what He wants me to do and what will bring Him glory in the end. That is what brings me the true joy that I have, the knowledge that I am pleasing Him and living His dream [will] for me.

So what is my dream? What is His will for me? I would spell it out for you if I could, but I do not think it is really that easy. It is something I know in my heart though and something I strive after with everything that I am.

What does 4,105 balloons mean to me? Nothing. What does God’s will mean to me? Everything.

*Posted for credit for JRN412

So What Is Blogging Anyway?

Blogging. Some use it to vent about the horrible fight they had with their boyfriend, show the world what an adorable puppy they have and how no one on earth seems to understand them. Others use it as a way of reaching others with their work, sharing news, breaking news and announcing new products. It has also been one of the leading tools of convergent media and allowing freelance writers to get their work out there and noticed.

So what then is it really all about? I know my blog has taken the role of getting school assignments done. That’s not all that I want it to be, but with the busyness of college life that is where it stands.

But what do others blog about? And why? This is the question that plagues me today, so let’s just take a look shall we?

The first blog I stumbled upon is http://thegrublog.blogspot.com. This blog is run by four different people and describes the purpose of their blog as, “a non-profit writing center dedicated to nurturing writers and connecting readers with the wealth of writing talent in the Boston area.”

The writing style changes with every post, as they are being written by different writers, but overall I like the flow of their writing. A lot of the subject matter (which seems to mostly consist of baseball) lost my interest however, though that could be due to the fact that it’s all very local based, and well, I’m not from Boston.

I did however enjoy the fact that they have a guest writer every Friday to sort of spruce things up as it were.

Now onto blog #2 http://birdsblog.blogspot.com. I really enjoy this blog. The writer has yet to reveal her identity and blogs under the alias of “Bird”. I’m kind of a fan of this. She states the purpose of her blog as, “Poetry, musings, observations, commentary, rants, confessions...and who knows what else!” So, pretty much whatever floats its way into her mind will find its way to becoming a blog post. She does everything from “Top Ten Milestones Indicating You Are No Longer Dating But Are In A Relationship” to her trip to Europe to a rant about birth control.

I like her writing style, though that could be because it reminds me of my own voice from time to time.

So, here we have three different types of blogs: My own, with the purpose of passing my classes, Grublog, with the purpose of connecting readers and writers together and Bird with the purpose of, well, being Bird. But what role does blogging play in media today? I would assume a rather large one.

Blogs can be used in sending out the latest news, announcing the release of a new product, providing advertisement and getting consumer reports on how business is doing.

Blogs serve a multitude of different purposes, but overall they are one of the leading forms of social media today and are certainly things to be mastered.

*Posted for credit for JRN371