The Learning Curve

I started  this week stepping into the abyss  of no-man's land.  Remember the book or the movie "the man without a country"   Well, I started this week feeling like "a woman without a link, a pin or a face".  Modern technology has a way of taking the "country" out of the person.  One definitely feels alone  and lost.   I am taking some liberties with the short story by Edward Everett Hale.  The story  still sticks with me since reading it in high school.  The main character lieutenant  Phillip Nolan  says  "Damm the United States, I wish I never heard of the United States"   He is then  bannished to a naval ship never seeing the land of the U.S. or hearing of his country again.  At his death he speaks of the pain of never having a country and how he realizes how important it really was.  Yes,  I am taking some libeerties by using this story but there is a parrale,l please bear with me.  Years ago I spoke openly of the  internet as something I would never be involved with.  My husband was very involved  in being a part of it but I refused to participate.  I refused to have an email or to be on facebook.  He tried to teach me but I was stubborn in my decision.  Later when the antique mall I sold from was closing I looked to another alternate and the internet was my step to sell.  Crunch, crunch oh, did I eat my words.  I stepped into a new world but still I resisted.  Facebook I said, "no way".    I resisted and ignored linking, pinning and texting. 

The reality of falling sales and Ruby Plaza closing forced me to go looking  for what I was doing wrong.  I wrote an email to  a Ruby Lane  Linda Caricofe  RC Antiques  shop owner and the door was opened.   She encouraged me to join TVV and I looked, saw and joined.   Now, back to last  weeks events.  Reading and getting enough nerve to speak out on a discussion I started meeting people.  I  was told a blog would help and with encouragement from several other shop owners who walked me  through blogger I now have a blog.  Actually two as one is  on TVV, who would have ever guessed!  Next people suggested you have to post photos and then a walk through and a few posted photos.  But it did not stop there... I found myself being encouraged to pin by Pam of  Whimsical Village.  She said ,"Ilove it! You have to try."  Next thing I knew my mind was saying no but my fingers were following instructions from  Lora,  I  stayed up late long after she left for bed exploring pinterest last night.  This morning my email was full of comments on the photos I had posted  yesterday.  I am meeting so many people on line teaching me, sharing information and exchanging links.  Yes, who would have thoought this morning I would be listening to a tutorial on linking because I did not know I should do that. 

So  with that said, I must say I am not a girl" without an internet" any more.  Hopefully I am not on my death bed as Nolan was when he spoke of how important his country was but I can say I now know I  do need the internet to sell.  The last question Lora said to me was do you "skype" and I thought oh my gosh how do I do that!   The learning curve is never ending.