Letter to My 20-Something Children about Why I'm on Twitter

Dear David and Rachel:

Both of you have expressed some concern about the amount of time I spend on Twitter and my apparent interest in it. So I write this public letter in an attempt to allay your fears and memorialize my view on the subject. Rest easy, I am not plunging into insanity.

Since neither of you are on Twitter, my guess is you don't know much about it. Here's a good explanation and history of Twitter. Yes, there's no doubt that some people think it's idiotic and a waste of time, but some people feel that way about Facebook or text messaging. How do you feel about those things?

The original reason I decided to start using Twitter was because my webmaster, Willy Grieve, suggested I do it to try to generate traffic to my blog. In fact, I like doing the blog whether anyone comes to read it or not. So when I do a new entry in the blog, i mention it on Twitter, but only once or twice. It *has* generated some traffic.

The second major reason I wanted to get established on Twitter was because I want to get a book published. I have a finished manuscript of one quilting book. When you're doing a book proposal, one of the things you have to discuss is "platform" as in what do you have as a platform for letting people know about your book and helping in advertising. I will have Twitter as my "platform".

So those were the original reasons I signed up on Twitter 2 months ago. I'm not on Twitter because I'm bored or unhappy. I had specific reasons for getting started on it, but I participate lots because I like it. I'm ADD like you, David, and I get bored easily. Man, I need to fold some laundry. What was I saying? Twitter was made for me. It consists of little snippets of conversation that you can have with lots of different people from all over the world. There's a running feed of information, links to articles, news, jokes, quotes; there's something for everybody. And it's very simple to do. Facebook, on the other hand, gets more and more complicated and I enjoy it less and less.

Participating on Twitter is a lot like reading a book of very short "flash" fiction. You can pick it up or put it down anytime you want. I have a lot of fun with it. I laugh all the time talking to Twitter buddies. Most people call Twitter friends Twends or Tweeps. I call them Fritters. I have acquaintances that I've made in Australia, in the States, Canada, Holland, England and S. America.

I not only keep up with news, but I can ask a question like "The thread on my sewing machine keeps breaking...anybody have any idea what's wrong?" or "my rose bush has aphids, what should I do?" and 2 or 3 people immediately reply. Actually I don't have any roses, but you get the idea.

So while you may not understand it, I urge you not to worry about me. I'm fine. Even while participating on Twitter, I've gotten back into cooking, I've made 2 quilts in the last month (with a 3rd on the way), and I got a part-time job teaching quilting. I'm trying to adjust to a new city, new married life, new identity, and, remember, we're moving again before too long.

While both of you are very smart cookies, I'm pretty smart myself. And I have something you don't have: the wisdom of age. I think you're going to have to trust me on this one and quit worrying, but I'm grateful that you care enough to voice your concern.

Do you remember that trout that used to sing that we had hanging on the wall?

"Don't worry, be happy."

I Love You With All My Heart,

Mom