Planning Ahead

February 23, 2012August 28, 2018 / Ally Bean / 13 Comments

… following Belle of the Carnival’s lead, I’m writing and posting my blogging obituary. Read more about this exercise in “what-if-ness” here.

My Pretend Obituary As A Real Blogger

Ally Bean, guiding light of the blogosphere and quiet voice of sanity in the real world, has passed away peacefully at her home while reading blogs in her Google Reader.

Ms. Bean first came to the world of blogging in 2004 when she decided to keep a personal blog of her own. Said blog was filled with much flapdoodle and twaddle. This was a tradition she continued in all her subsequent blogs– taking care to not take herself too seriously.

In the real world Ms. Bean was a tireless advocate of all things bloggy. In her early days of blogging, she spent lots of time explaining yet again to the uninformed masses what a blog was– and where it was– and why everyone should read hers. Which is to say that Ms. Bean talked to concrete walls quite frequently back then.

Later as blogging became more mainstream, Ms. Bean helped many people start their first blogs. She was always willing to talk ~~of cabbages and kings~~ of html and links. She was more than happy to explain the details of her experiences in various blogging platforms as well as to commiserate about the suckiness of comment trolls and content thieves.

In later life when asked about her contributions to the blogosphere Ms. Bean demurely suggested that as a warm, down-to-earth, quirky blogger she had reached tens of tens who considered her posts to be amusing, insightful & informative. She wryly noted that she did not reach a single, solitary person who had any interest in paying her for her work.

In lieu of flowers Ms. Bean asked that comments be placed on her blog, The Spectacled Bean. She also suggested that everyone who keeps a blog and reads this post should do this same thing i.e. write your own blogging obituary. And then link back to me [no, wait… I meant to say] this ~~post~~ [wait…] obituary. That’s it: link back to this pretend obituary. Please.

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After I posted the above, Mike, who is Notoriously Nice, tweeted me the link to Tombstone Generator. Here’s what I made for my pretend blogging grave. 😉

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In Which Heart Reminds Me Of Me

January 26, 2012 / Ally Bean / 8 Comments

• Yet again, a comic strip has made my day.

• Like Heart, I received a diary at Christmastime. Mine is a very stylish journal with blank pages and a Siberian Goldfinch painted on the front of it. The journal was given to me to use as a diary.

• Like Heart, I intend to use my diary to record my “innermost thoughts.” Whatever they may be.

• And just like Heart, who is a dreamer extraordinaire, if I am completely honest with myself I can say that: “I’m gonna sell it for big bucks!” Because who doesn’t want to be a Ba-Jillionaire just like that Wimpy Kid?

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{ Source }

My Three Rules

November 16, 2011March 7, 2012 / Ally Bean / 18 Comments

A couple of weeks ago I found this delightful post: “I’m better than Gibbs. I only need three rules.” It’s written by Jo White aka Mediamum. I like what she has to say and how she says it.

Reading her post got me thinking about what my 3 rules might be. Here’s what I decided.

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1. Arrive pre-amused.

Swiped this idea directly from The Little Book of Letting Go by Hugh Prather. Attitude is everything, no?

2. Embrace complexity.

I started saying this after we moved from a smaller city to this here big city where nothing is straightforward or easy. Instead of whining about everything, I adopted this point of view. It has served me well.

3. Say thank you.

It’s good manners. It’s a prayer. It makes your mother happy. So why not demonstrate your grasp of successful interpersonal relationships and say it, huh?

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What are your three rules? Or do you have more than three a la Leroy Jethro Gibbs? Please share in comments below– or on your own blog. We’d love to know.