Stardust Global Ventures

I have something on my mind, and you get to read about it.

This morning scrolling through twitter and google reader I came across several posts/comments all surrounding who the influencers in social networking are. What’s implied is that there is a set group of influencers and they are all that matter. I think that’s hogwash. Seriously.

We all live in this world, and are surrounded by a myriad of people. Some we come into contact with daily, some we see on special occasions, and still others we may never meet in person but due to social networking and media we invite them into our lives in some form or fashion. These people, all of the above, are our influencers. That doesn’t negate the reality that we are also influenced by the big screen or tv ads, but in our network those we communicate with are our influencers. I don’t care who influences my pal in Ottawa. Who he is influenced by may not be the same as who I am influenced by and it doesn’t change our relationship that we have other people in our network influencing us. it simply means we are a diverse grouping of people with a variety of influences.

But I took offense at the idea that there are a select group of people influencing the greater numbers of us. Is that true? Possibly, but it isn’t the whole story and that’s what I want to talk about.

I really do have a friend in Ottawa. He’s so incredibly special, and it’s reciprocal. Outside of Ken and my kids he probably has more impact in my life than anyone else. Most people who have paid attention to me know JP is not only special to me, but he influences a great many people in my world. JP is friends with many of my friends. JP and I go back to my days in Canada. He pre-dates Ken. Still, we live miles apart and live very separate lives, so why is he able to influence me? The same reason anyone is. Because I acknowledge him in some way to be worth listening to and value his opinion even if we disagree.

JP is not the only person who influences me. I would suggest there are a great many people who influence me. Every single person I have a conversation with has influence of some sort. This past week is a great example of that. I was in Washington DC. I arranged meetups with a number of people. Each of them was an influence on how I spent my day. Dinner Monday night with Chris Abraham gave me an opportunity to go to a restaurant another influencer suggested. Tuesday I took my first metro ride alone to visit with Michael Sanders down by the Capitol. Wednesday night dinner at Vapiano’s with Shashi Bellamkonda, a place I would never have found on my own, and an added bonus meeting with Mike Holden. Thursday lunch with Glenn Manishin, getting to see where he works and his prized bonsai. (I spelled it correctly, Glenn!) Friday traipsing around Adams Morgan where a friend suggested we would see ethnic diversity, he was right. And finally, Saturday morning coffee with Jim Long, someone I’ve known for a long time online, had many great thoughtful conversations with, but never met in person.

All of these people have been influences in my life or I wouldn’t have made plans to meet them. Jim is who suggested many of the places I wound up, from Georgetown to Adams Morgan. Chris showed me a Sculpture of Einstein that I probably would not have seen otherwise, Michael pointed out the proximity of the Library of Congress to the Capitol, and with so many huge government buildings I might have overlooked it. Dinner with Shashi brought us in contact with yet another person, Mike Holden. I had only recently come across Mike on twitter so he wasn’t on my radar but he’s doing some great things and well worth paying attention to. Glenn shared himself very personally, touring us through the inner workings of his law offices, and then took us to lunch at the Hotel Monaco, where the lunch conversation was wonderful, dessert was FABULOUS, the company incredible. Coffee with Jim was a long overdue meeting with an old friend. Comfortable. We shared pics from his recent tour of Asia with President Obama, I shared some of my pics, (I hear the song Copacabana playing in the background – her name was Lola)  and in general it was just a special time laughing, catching up and enjoying each other.

I had another encounter, one I haven’t shared yet, but I think is important and indicative of the diverse set of people influencing us. I met a homeless man. His name is Montana. Ken was in the hotel and I had gone down to the pharmacy. Montana was offering help to someone who was trying to get into the pharmacy but the doors were closed. It’s a 24 hour pharmacy and one set is closed after a certain hour, so Montana was directing this person to the other side. Montana made a comment to me and I responded. I am a bit ‘gabby’ after all.

Being gabby, I started asking him questions. He answered and before long he was telling me his story. Montana has been on the streets for a while. One of those people who got nailed with the economy falling apart. It doesn’t matter why so much, what mattered to me was hearing how he lives today. He had all his ’stuff’ in a bag which was stolen from him. Then some group in DC was handing out blankets and he got one, but the rain came and his blanket got soaked. He was trying to find a way to dry it out because, as he said, ‘it got that mildew smell.’ He told me how he figured out a way to get into a public washroom and lock it so he could get cleaned up. He talked to me about his struggles to find any sort of job that would pay him something so he could eat. He was very happy because one of the hotels let him do some sweeping and paid him. He was a nice, articulate, funny, considerate man who fate or whatever brought him to a life he certainly never envisioned for himself. Yes, Montana influenced me.

I went upstairs and went through my purse. I found all my 1’s and my only 5, and grabbed Ken. We went down but Montana was gone. I walked around the building and there he was. Moving on, because he can’t stay in one place or he’ll get tossed off the property. He said to me, “Did you come looking for me all the way around here, really?” And I told him I had. He influenced me, yes he did. You see, I could see myself in Montana. oh, I’ve never been homeless, but I’ve certainly had struggles not shared with anyone other than closest friends. I’ve walked the streets alone, trying to access my situation, wondering what to do and how to do it. His walking is forced on him for reasons only he knows, but we’ve both done it which makes us the same.

All of these people influence me. They aren’t the only ones but I am clear on who they are. Nobody telling me there is only a select group of influencers will change the fact that these men have influenced me. It’s time we stop looking to the outside world to tell us what we think and start using our common sense to make up our own minds. Who influences you may be people who influence me. They also may not be. And that’s ok. I don’t want you to be just like me, influenced only by the people I am influenced by. I like our differences. That’s another reason you’re in my influencer list. People I am influenced by teach me.

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