Last spring I started themillennialboomer blog with no knowledge of how to do it. Shortly thereafter, my daughter told me about an opportunity to take a free class about Digital Storytelling with Dr. Stacey Patton through a link on Dr. Patton’s social media. I responded to the link and was fortunate to get signed up for the class. Learning to be a Digital Media Bawse was fun and empowering! I learned how to use many different digital tools and quickly realized that I need to learn more.
I love to write about whatever is happening in my world. A big part of my world is navigating the workplace as one of the seniors who are not yet ready to retire. I need to work until age 67 if I want my full social security–and I believe it will still be available. I work primarily with millennials and the differences between us add a richness to the work culture in addition to some challenges. See what Ellen DeGeneres has to say about the differences between Baby Boomers and Millennials.
So if I want to attract an audience to hear about my life and my experiences, I need some skills in addition to writing. And that is where this class comes in. I am confident that in ‘Take 2’, I will revisit what I learned last session and gain a greater understanding of how to appeal to the digital world. My goal for this second course is to create a better vlog presence. I did a couple vlog entries with the first class, but they were a bit awkward and amatuer. I can do better.
I love my new recording equipment and tried my hand again at a vlogging entry. I am one who learns by doing. And since I haven’t done this much, you can see that I am a beginner. That’s never stopped me before. I have a long history of learning about tech by trying it to see what happens. I need to learn to edit my work, but for now, just talking for the camera is an accomplishment I am proud of. More later.
In my Digital Media class with Dr. Stacey Patton, we learned to make a timeline. This was not easy. We had to use several digital sources to come up with a three-moment timeline. I had to fiddle with it for over an hour and start over three times, but I did it! Our next project will be a 10-moment time line of our own life using pictures, videos and sound clips of our own history. I am afraid and excited to get started on that one.
Here’s my practice timeline featuring Carol Burnett.
I am part of a new community that is giving me space to grow. I am learning what it means to have white privilege in America and how life is more difficult without it. I am growing my empathy and understanding for people whose experience is different from mine.
Many boomers are faced with the reality that we can no longe ignore the racism in our society. Some double down on long held prejudices and harmful ideology. Some insist they are not racist while upholding systems in place that limit the potential of our neighbors of color. Some, like me will be thankful for the space to learn and grow.
I thought it was good that I never considered race when meeting or interacting with people. But it was only good for me, because being ignorant about race and color is accepting the systemic racism that is part of our American culture. In the aftermath of the George Floyd murder, and the media coverage of the Black Lives Matter movement, I am becoming more aware of the racism surrounding me and more sensitive to how that affects people of color.
I am fortunate to be taking a class learning about digital media offered by Dr. Stacey Patton. My daugher who follows Dr. Patton on twitter shared a link with me where I signed up for the class. 300 students were enrolled and we began a Zoom journey together to learn how to manage a blog on Word Press. It was timely for me because just weeks before I started a blog on Word Press. I didn’t have any experience and didn’t know how to proceed. I could only add ‘New post’. Now I have learned to embed videos and sound tracks. Next week I will be creating a timeline of my own life.
While I appreciate learning about the technology that will help me with my blog, I feel that the greater value is in the community and fellowship of the other creatives in class. It is a new experience for me to be in the minority where I am one of a handful of white students amid a majority of people of color. I am immersed in a class of people who are the same as me and different from me. We are the same because we share a common interest. We are different because we experience racism in different ways.
The assignments we are given are creative and meant to teach us about technology. The topics are personal and we choose them ourselves. This is where I feel uncomfortable, privileged and frivolous. My life experiences feel normal to me; entertaining and fun. When I look at many of the other submissions, I see something more. I see people being vulnerable about themselves, their lives and experiences. I see pain and anger and activism and advocacy. I see real people dealing with real trauma that is happening in the same spaces where I live but that I don’t experience. And maybe that is why I scratch the surface in my writing, so I don’t have to deal with the hard problem of racism.
I want my classmates to know that while I do not experience the same difficulties, I have experienced some difficulties in my life, and that creates a bridge of empathy. I want to share with you the things that make us the same so we can laugh and enjoy each other. I want to learn about the things that make us different so I can understand what you need and how I can help you get that.
My heart is full of love, even when my actions have fallen short. My mind is full of ideas, even when I have not said them out loud. I am starting where I am, with what I have, doing what I can. I am a Digital Media Bawse in progress. Bear with me, I’m growing.
I am so fortunate that I was chosen to take a free Digital Storytelling Workshop Series with Dr. Stacey Patton. She is also a Generosity Bawse and I am so appreciative of the help she is offering.
My blog site is already set up but I barely know how to use it, so I am looking forward to what I can learn. This is a super fun workshop and Stacey has shown 208 people how to set up a free site on WordPress and had us all write a first post including a fancy, dancy hyperlink.
I love the beginner friendly tone of instruction. We were on a Zoom call and could see each other as we worked through the steps. Stacey was very patient and took the time to stop and answer questions as well as share her screens to help work through troubles. She encouraged other participants to help each other and every question was answered with a sincere desire for success.
My daughter is visiting today and was sitting quietly while I took the workshop. She is a first grade teacher who has just gone through distance learning with 25 littles. As folks chimed in with questions, she chuckled periodically and said, “She has more patience than I do”. That’s a lot of patience, Stacey! You are truly a Bawse of many trades.
Hello Millennial Boomers! I hope you’ve had a happy day. Mine was great considering all day yesterday I thought it was Thursday. I sent out my Thursday emails and everything. Only found out I had it wrong when I sat down to emails this morning and realized it was still Thursday. I’m not really sure if that was an actual ‘Senior Moment’, or a lapse in focus from too many emails. Either way, I made it through the day with all my emails and started planning for tomorrow.
Now that I have the bones in place, I need to flesh out this blog. That’s where you come in. I need help making this a fun place to spend a bit of time. I will learn about adding pages and cool formatting and such. But first, I would like to know what you’d find interesting.
Here’s my ideas:
Share random stories that highlight the fun and folly of getting older in a younger world. work, family, friends, finances, health
Discuss age-related topics in a respectful, uplifting way.
Share old-timey pictures of fun stuff people don’t do anymore.
Links to stuff that is interesting – your ideas here.
The truth is, I could ramble on and on about nothing for a looong time. In fact, I might do that sometimes. But I also have to ask myself, “What would Oprah do?” I’m not exactly sure because I don’t really follow Oprah, but I think she would tell me to do what I love, celebrate who I am, focus on where I want to be and get going.
With that sentiment, I am going to continue like it’s Thursday and focus on this blog until I get it right!
