Blogging, Revisited

With the reach of the Internet, the world has become a much smaller place.  And I like that.

For quite a while, I've been following the blog of a young woman named Lidia.  She lives in Hungary.  At first, I thought our cultural differences were too large to enable us to communicate, but her blog kept luring me back with its lush, extravagantly-photographed posts of chic, up-to-the-minute fashion.  Lidia puts a great deal of effort into her blog and it shows.  Her frequent outfit-posts are among the best I've seen on the 'net.

Language, too, turned out not to be a problem because Lidia writes in both English and Hungarian.  (I can barely manage one language so people with this ability amaze me.)

I assumed that because Lidia's blog has a very large following, she wouldn't have the time or interest in reading my small personal blog, half a world away.  But I was wrong.  She does read it and occasionally comments.  Which is nice.  I'm very surprised and deeply touched by that.

We never know what ripples in the pond we're going to create when we toss in a stone, so I throw many pebbles into the water.  During my brief time on Earth, I want to affect people and effect change.  My blog is a big part of that.  Consider it one big rock!

My brief recent post on blogging had that effect on Lidia.  It reminded her of her own personal history, which is full of hardship, sadness, friendship and triumph.  Her story isn't easy to read but it's real and it's personal.  She just posted it on her blog (here).  If you're curious, head on over.

Who Knows?

I experiment.  I don't know what I'm doing, so experimenting is a way to explore possibilities.  I try new colors, new shapes, new combinations.

The results, of course, are hit-and-miss.  I can live with mistakes if they teach me how to dress better.  And they do.  I study them and listen closely to your feedback.

Here's something new (for me).  Please tell me what you think.  Thanks.

Blogging

A study by the American Psychological Association found that blogging is good for teens.  It improves their self-esteem and helps them psychologically.  You can read about it here.

This makes perfect sense.  We all benefit from positive feedback, especially young people who are insecure about their place in society.  I'm glad they have blogging available to them.

When I was young, blogging wasn't available because the Internet didn't exist because computers hadn't been invented and electricity hadn't been discovered yet.  All we had for communication was shouting at each other and drawing on cave-walls.

Has blogging helped you feel better about yourself?

The Real Life Of A Lawyer

I am a lawyer.  Do you know what I do?  Let me explain it to you with two stories.  The first story is a joke and the second one is true.

A college senior was exploring career options.  He heard engineering and law are good jobs so he arranged interviews with an engineer and a lawyer.

He visits the engineer and speaks to him about the field.  During the meeting, the senior asks the engineer, "How much is two plus two?"  The engineer answers without pause, "Why, four, of course."

The senior later visits a lawyer.  He asks the lawyer, "How much is two plus two?"

The lawyer studies the senior closely.  The lawyer stands up, walks over to the door and shuts it.  Then he walks over to the window and pulls the shades closed.  He returns to his desk and sits down.  Looking steadily at the senior, the lawyer leans over the desk and whispers, "How much do you want it to be?"

If you think that's an exaggeration, let me now tell you a true story that happened to me a decade ago.

I have a general civil practice and all of my cases come by referrals from satisfied clients and other lawyers.  For a while, I represented several police-officers in civil matters.  (My father and brother were cops.)

One of my police clients referred another officer to me whom I had never met.  During the first meeting, I asked the man how I could help him.  He leaned across the table and whispered, "Do you handle police disability cases?"  I said yes.

I then asked him, "Do you have a disability case?" 

He answered -- and I will never forget these words -- "Not yet..."

A few months later, I heard he injured his trigger-finger and applied for lifetime disability benefits (which, for cops, are very generous).  His application was approved so he had no need for a lawyer.  I never saw him again.

When Do The Holidays End?

Okay, the holidays are over.  :-(

When is the right time to take down your Christmas tree?  And your Christmas lights?  Your holiday decorations?

After New Year's?  February?  When the dried-out tree catches fire?

Oh, and did you do any post-holiday shopping?  I went browsing, innocently with no intent to buy,  and stumbled across some items that were irresistable, especially at large discount.  I now have material for several posts.

P.S., Beautifully Invisible just put up a list of the best posts of the year.  It's a great way to discover new blogs at their peak.  Check it out here.

Color In Winter

It was 19 degrees when I woke up today.  To combat the cold, I chose color.  Yes, color!

Bright colors can be a nice remedy for the dull cold of Winter.  When I spotted this skirt, I decided I want to wear it regardless of season.  The colors appeal to me and their odd combination is striking.  Yes, that really is purple beneath the orange!

I paired the skirt with a wonderful top just given to me as a Christmas present by Wendy, my friend in South Africa.  (Check out her blog, Simply Sassy.)  Also showing up for duty are mustard-yellow tights (Hue, $7) and gold flats (Payless, $12).

What do you think?  And, btw, what colors do you wear in Winter?

A New Year!

Welcome to the New Year!

I'm starting off this year the way I want to -- by wearing a cute outfit.  I found these items while shopping last week.  Actually, I was just wandering around the mall with no intent to purchase anything when these irresistable pieces called out to me.  "Ally!  Take us home!"

I yielded to their entreaties.  And felt good about it.  I rarely buy clothes in retail stores, so picking these up was a treat.  Combining them in my head was a pleasant exercise and actually wearing them even more so.

I hope you have a wonderful year full of whatever adventures appeal to you!