Ruminations on The Path

Recently, I critiqued a manuscript that straddled the line between a blogging and memoir.  The manuscript's format and subject matter (showing, telling, praxis, faith, knowledge, and finding one's path) made me think about my own blog, and how lately it's gone from thinking about ideas and the examined life to "weather is here; wish you were fine" with Cat Pictures.

I blame some of the blog's straying on my Winter Writing Malaise.  Some of it is losing my focus.  Some of it is simply enjoying posting photos of our pets and the skies.  Some of my idea-lite posts come from only posting how many reps I did at the gym; which isn't a bad thing as far as accountability goes -- but I'd like the blog to be more than a mere gym ledger entry.

Coincidentally, I was having a discussion with The Child about What He Wants to Do With His Life. His current aspiration is to become a Rich and Famous Video Game You-Tuber (I think).  During the course of our discussion, he rattled off three names:  I didn't recognize one; one I know as a profane swearer; one I don't approve of because of his slurs.  On one hand, it's probably a good thing that the You-Tuber I refer to as "Yammerhead" wasn't on the list--but neither was the Kind and Curious Minecraft You-Tuber from about six years ago.

"So," I asked near the end of our discussion, "What is it that you're actually going to offer?"

"I'm going to post games reveal videos.  I'll probably put in some click-baity reaction-video stuff so I get five thousand likes -- that's when you start to make money as an affiliate."

"Yes, that's great" I said, "but what is your content going to be?  What will you have to offer that would make people want to watch your You-Tube channel?"

He gave me a look that anyone whose parents didn't understand that their garage band, or poetry, or painting was a one-way ticket to the big time gives to their out-of-it parents.

This whole entry is reminding me of The Hermit tarot card.  The Hermit, as a part of his journey, lifts his lamp up so that other travelers on the path can see where they might go.  I have to say, though, that I never thought of The Hermit as an Internet Influencer.