Getting to know you, getting to know all about you . . .

A Getting to Know You Challenge for Bloggers

by Terry Thornton
email: hillcountrymonroecounty@gmail.com

The lyrics Oscar Hammerstein wrote to Richard Rogers' music for the 1951 smash musical, The King and I, contain some of my favorite lines. The song's lyrics include these words to open:

It's a very ancient saying,
But a true and honest thought,
That if you become a teacher,
By your pupils you'll be taught.
As a teacher I've been learning
(You'll forgive me if I boast)
And I've now become an expert,
On the subject I like most. . .

And the song concludes with these lines . . .

Getting to know you,
Getting to feel free and easy.
When I am with you,
Getting to know what to say.
Haven't you noticed?
Suddenly I'm bright and breezy,
Because of all the beautiful and new
Things I'm learning about you
Day by day.

The number of new blogs is increasing so rapidly that many of us are having trouble keeping up with reading and visiting. There never seems enough time to get to know new blogs much less to interact with their authors. To help out in that regard, I'm issuing a challenge to all Bloggers to help us get to know each other --- tell us the bright and breezy and beautiful from your blog using the following format.

I. Post an article on your blogsite with the subject heading:

GETTING TO KNOW ME, GETTING TO KNOW (insert name of your blog here)

II. Write a short paragraph describing you, your work, and your goals for writing. Why you do what you do is always of interest to readers and it helps readers understand your work.

III. List the three best of the best of your articles --- articles which you've previously published and are still available online. Select (using your opinion) the brightest, breeziest and most beautiful from all you've written. List only three following this outline:

A. The title of the specific article you think is the brightest (and by brightest I mean the one article you think is your best work) and is the article we should read first to understand you and your blog.

1. URL to that article

2. One sentence why you think this is the brightest of your work

B. The title of the specific article you think is the breeziest (funny or sassy or provocative or sprightly -- breezy!) article you've ever published at your blog or website.

1. URL to that article

2. One sentence why you think this is the breeziest of your work

C. The title of the specific article you have written you think is the most beautiful of your work (it can be an essay, a photograph, or whatever you've done you think is the most beautiful) that you have published at your blog or website.

1. URL to that article

2. One sentence why you think the article the most beautiful one you've written and published online.

V. Conclude your article with a short paragraph of advice to your readers as to how they can get to know you within the framework of how you write, publish, and react to readers at your blogsite.

VI. As soon as you publish your Getting to Know Me article, send to hillcountrymonroecounty@gmail.com an email with your blogger name, your blog name, and the URL to your post. Please use GETTING TO KNOW ME as the subject of your email. Deadline for submission is midnight, Saturday, September 27, 2008. I will publish a roundup of the challenge entries on or about Wednesday, October 1, 2008.

I look forward to your entries.

If you are a Blogger, a Genea-Blogger or a HOGS-Blogger or anyone writing family history, genealogy, and local lore you are invited to participate. Send me an email if you have questions.

Reference:

Hammerstein II, Oscar, lyrics and Richard Rodgers, music. "Getting to Know You" from The King and I. 1951. Cited in Festival of Popular Songs, William L. Simon, Editor. Pleasantville, New York: The Reader's Digest Association, Inc., 1977, pp 196 - 99.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~