As workplace learning and performance professionals, it’s important that my colleagues and I ask this question of ourselves before we fall asleep each night:

What did you learn today?

This morning, I learned more about the power of online social networking, that is, where I first meet a person online through a blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, or some other cyberplace on the Internet, and then I have the good fortune to meet them in person to further develop that relationship.

After that, we go back to reinforcing our new relationship in cyberspace, hoping to meet in person again one day.

Sometimes we get that chance, and sometimes we don’t, yet we continue as colleagues and friends in cyberspace.

Today, I learned that my very favorite blogger in the whole world left it yesterday afternoon, after a long, wonderful journey on this planet. I suspected that something was very wrong when she hadn’t written since May 8th, and was fearing the inevitable. This morning, I found out that she had died from a post on her daughter’s blog.

The tears streaming down my cheeks for this blogger are just as intense as those for someone I know in person and see frequently.

I am grieving, feeling the loss, and I will miss GrannyJ more than I can express.

RIP GrannyJ, 1927-2010

Julie Woodman and her husband retired from Chicago to the mountains of northern Arizona, to the quaint town of Prescott. Under the moniker of GrannyJ, she wrote the Walking Prescott blog. I found her blog when my sister moved to Prescott a few years ago. GrannyJ’s blog is filled with beautiful photos of the area and a treasure trove of historical knowledge.

She was a retired journalist, and blogging kept her writing and reporting on life to a cyberspace audience that literally spanned the world. Quietly, she gained an international audience.

A very intelligent, witty, and warm blogger in her 80s, I asked GrannyJ if my husband and I could meet her and treat her to lunch on our next visit to Prescott. She said she’d be delighted. We met at The Raven Cafe, and now I wish I had written down what we talked about together so I could treasure the memory of that visit again.

After that F2F visit, she added me to her e-mail distribution list. Whenever I saw her name pop up in my Inbox, I rushed to open her messages. She would send out links to the most amazing articles and Web sites. She was our teacher, and we her very eager students.

Julie created a cyberlife filled with cyberrelationships that were genuine, that mattered. As she was able, she frequently met in person with the people she first met online. I hope that I’m filled with her love of life when I’m in my 80s.

There’s so much more I could say, but I can’t see what I’m typing due to the tears blurring my vision. So, I’ll end this with a brief tribute.

Thank You, GrannyJ

Julie, thank you so much for sharing yourself and your family with your cyberfriends. You broadened my horizons and my knowledge in countless ways, you were my teacher, and you invited me into friendship.

I love you and thank you.

And, I will miss you more than words can express.

I lift my coffee cup high in tribute to you!

~Anon in AV.

I stopped blogging because I got busy. Mid-August, I launched my own business, my sole proprietorship, freelance, independent consulting business. Yes, I joined the work-at-home, bunny-slipper-brigade, telecommuter, virtual worker workforce!

My blog nagged at me several times a week… for months. Funny how an inanimate, cyberspace tool can do that. However, this past week, I discovered that I’m not alone in neglecting my blog. What a relief! Both Debora Gallo (of eBites) and Lee LeFever (of Common Craft) published posts that describe their own blog neglect. It’s nice to find out I’m in good company. Take a moment to read their musings:

Debora Gallo, “It’s Not Just Me”

http://ebites.wordpress.com/2008/11/19/its-not-just-me/

Lee LeFever, “Why I stopped Reading Blogs (for awhile)”

http://www.commoncraft.com/why-i-stopped-reading-blogs-while

My situation wasn’t so much not reading other’s blog posts as it was getting used to running my own business. I had two clients keeping me busy, an attorney to chat with, and a CPA coaching me through tax consequences. I attended workshops and continued to network, marketing my business so I could gain clients for 2009. On top of that, of course, I continued to manage the home front, and use my virtual worker status to help a family member with some personal issues.

Things are falling comfortably into a routine, now, and I still value writing for my blog. I see the need to create a blogging schedule and stick to it. The blogosphere gives us a great cybervenue for the sharing of ideas, and I hope to give you something of value and encourage conversation and collaboration.

Freelancing and the Economy

While I was busy not blogging, some people have said to me, “Wow, Jenise, what a time for you to go freelance… in this economy!” Although I’ve been planning and preparing for this business move for about a year, I had no control over anything when I pulled the trigger. It’s difficult enough to time the stock market if you want to buy-sell stocks, let alone choose when you’re going to “go for it” and pursue your dreams.

Family and I are frugal, cautious, and seek wise council from others, including our Higher Power. But, sometimes you just gotta go for it. Otherwise, you’re still on the sidelines watching the game instead of playing in the game and running for goals or touchdowns.

Again, I found that I’m not alone. Bob Younce writes on “The Writing Journey” blog, and his post on freelancing in this economy is a great read.

Bob Younce, “Writing Your Way Out of a Recession”

http://writing-journey.com/internet-writing/writing-your-way-out-of-a-recession

So, that’s where I’ve been instead of blogging. I’ve been learning, networking, designing, developing, and having a great time!

As for the economy, it’s one day at a time for me. Let’s all do what we can for today, plan for tomorrow, but focus on what’s in front of us today. Despite the news, I do encourage you to pursue your dreams. You’ll need to plan, set aside contingency funds in a savings account, and plan…plan…plan.

I look forward to you joining the game from the sidelines, and writing about your experiences in your own blog!

Together, you and I will be “Always Learning” about business and making dreams come true!

For a few weeks, I left the previous post “first-page visible” for my nephew and his colleagues in his school district. And, while they checked out those wonderful online resources, I had time to contemplate my blogging navel.

“Always Learning”, I realized that a dilemma diligently dogged my approach to this blog:

The “Content vs. Design Dilemma”.

Intrigued by the opportunity to improve my CSS skills and learn PHP, I neglected content. Now, inside my WordPress Admin panel rest over 20 unpublished drafts of blog posts!

Sheesh.

So, I’m returning to content, and I’m excited about that! I mean, what’s a blog without content? Design still awaits me as a project, and I look forward to changing the look of this blog. Plus, I need to update to WordPress 2.5.1, and plan to do that this weekend.

However, beginning today, my focus is on content, first, then design.

Yes, I’m “Always Learning!”

Currently, it may seem like I’m obsessed with WordPress while I set up my blog. I’m not, really. No, I’m not. I’m not! Seriously, what fiddling around in WordPress helps me with includes practicing my basic CSS skills, and encouraging me to learn PHP.

My local public library loves this. I’m requesting books like crazy from throughout the library system. When I go to my local branch to pick up the books, I’m charged a 25 cent handling fee for each book. I enjoy supporting my public library system, so no bother about the fees.

However, what has bothered me is something about my blog: The post titles were not left justified. Finally, I found the style element I needed to edit:

h2.pagetitle {
margin-top: 30px;
text-align: center;
}

<< || Changed to: || >>

h2.pagetitle {
margin-top: 30px;
text-align: left;
}

I’m happy, now, and can move on to further customizing the Kubrick theme, claiming it as my own.

As more of my writing and instructional design projects continue to move to the Web, I’m grateful to WordPress for giving me a great sandbox to play in and improve my CSS, JS, and PHP skills, and to keep me “Always Learning”!

Lisa’s book is a fantastic reference. With it at hand, plus the WordPress Community Forums, I plan to learn all that I can and customize my blog until I can learn and code no more.

Why am I doing this? It’s a challenge and a compulsion. Although I am not an engineer by profession nor skillset, the engineer gene runs through my veins. (And, bore fruit in the lives of some of my cousins who are engineers either in IT or in construction.)

I like what Lisa says in her book, under the heading: “This Crazy Little Thing Called Blog” (chapter 2):

“The practice of blogging is an evolutionary process, and it’s my strong feeling that blogs have evolved beyond personal journals to become tools for real journalism, business, and authorship.”

So, that’s why. I enjoy the process. I’m going to expand on my CSS skills, and I’m going to learn PHP. Now, how wonderful is that? It’s wonderful because I’ll watch this humble little blog, and me, morph into something I cannot even imagine today!

For example, I may find a new partnership with Lisa!
http://justagirlintheworld.com/open-call-for-talented-people/

And, may what I share during this process, this journey, help both you and me to focus on “Always Learning” something new every month.