Blogging 101

Duck hunting season is just about over, the deer have been safe for a while and the winter has definitely set in. (BTW, the ducks were few and far between this morning due to the weather and the pressure they've been getting. This is the last weekend. Season closes Tuesday.) But even with the hunting season ending and the winter here, there is still a lot to do. The ski hills have been getting a ton of snow and there are a few places to play music and there's still a ton of fishing to do when the weather cooperates. It's at this time though, that I run out of things to say on this blog.

So I read another blog from a local guy out here talking about dressing in layers when you go winter fly fishing and was chatting with another guy I took fishing last spring who was going to promote my blog on an online magazine as a form of gratitude who didn't because he thought I was too edgy and I starting thinking, "What do you guys that read these blogs really want to read about?" I could just write about the fishing and hunting and leave everything else alone but that wouldn't really be me. If I write about the politics of the fishing community, it has the potential to tick people off but if you think about it, that's what makes reality TV so compelling. The truth, (maybe sad truth,) is people like to hear about drama...I think they also like fish porn.

I've had a couple shops ask me to put a link to my blog on their web page and for the same reason the guy from last spring decided not to promote it, I told them it probably wasn't a good idea. I do write about the culture up here. I do write about some of the BS that is inevitable when dealing with such egos and everyone is competing. It is a challenge to be successful in building relationships in such a dynamic but also be honest and personally, I do believe blogs and news outlets and social media go a long way to hold people to a certain standard. It's like a hyper-social conscience and without it, some people will pretty much do whatever they want just to get ahead. (Of course, social media can also be used for one's own self promotion as well.)

I think Machiavelli said something like,"man to man is wolf," which to some means only the strong survive but to others it means that left to our own devices, we will probably kill each other in pursuit of our own self-interest. What either group doesn't take into account is that wolves also have very complex social structures that tend to promote a sense of community and adjudicate a harsh reality when members of their pack either don't follow the rules or get too cocky.

If I'm going to be completely honest, I've really had to bite my proverbial tongue this last week. Some folks are really into creating drama when it's not needed and some people could show a little grace and understanding but instead they're more into trippin. There are some really good people out here but there are also a lot of...well let's just say challenging personalities--I guess that's with everything in life and quite honestly, I'm probably one of those personalities. (I've been told that A LOT this past week...)

So you tell me. What do you want to hear about? I'm serious. I really want to know. There's a comment box that you can feel free to share whatever you want in. It's open to the public and it doesn't get screened before it get's published. It's all you...

Keep 'em where they live...