In a recent Facebook chat with Ali, I made the observation that a lot of people seem more interested in watching a video of a chicken on a skateboard than in doing almost anything else while they’re online.

I know how it goes: someone sees a funny video and they send you a link. The video is usually something silly, so it’s good for a laugh. We’ve all done it.

But is this what we want?

There are a lot of interesting folks online – whether it is on Facebook, Twitter, or on a blog. Sometimes the hardest part is finding them.

There’s also a lot of valuable information online. Some of it is useful in our day-to-day lives and some of it is just interesting in a Discovery Channel sort of way.

Are you a chicken on a skateboard kind of person or do you spend your time looking for information or interesting people?

What’s your preference?

As I was thinking about writing this post, I received this sarahemadden tweet, that was retweeted by SavvyLY.

Here’s where the link took me.

This video, posted in October 2008 by ParryGripp, has over 3,600,000 views.

Never mind. I have my answer.

The chicken wins!

It’s nearly 11 o’clock as I begin to write this, and the Senate health care bill has just passed the House.

They are preparing to vote on the reconciliation package, so I decided to write while the House attends to some procedural matters.

It’s so exciting!

Today has been a TV + Twitter day. I’ve only been on Twitter since January 30TH, so I think that I’m still a Twitter newbie. The experience of watching the members of Congress compress their final thoughts on health care legislation into 30, 60, or 90 second snippets was must watch TV. When combined with the goings on of the Twitterverse, it became one heck of an experience.

You see, there are many clever people on Twitter, and I’m not just talking about the people who I follow or the ones who follow me. Searching and using hash tags, like #hcr for comments related to health care reform, allows you to see the debate that regular folks are having in real time. And you can join in whenever you choose to contribute. It’s way cool.

This was the most fun that I’ve had on Twitter since I started.

One observation that I take from this experience is that the candor of those who Tweet far exceeds that which was on display during the House debates.

Time out

11:32 – HR-4872, the reconciliation bill just passed.

Time in

During the evening, I added a few Tweets of my own to the mix:

“Some callers on C-Span, I feel sorry for them. They believe the disinformation, so they are promoting votes against their own self-interest.”

“Shouldn’t a party that refutes their moniker of “The Party of No” say something other than “No” during this final House debate?”

“And there you have it from the final two speakers. The difference between the parties. Hope, help & opportunity vs. fear, gloom & doom. #HCR”

I received some feedback and made a few new Twitter buddies, so it was a good evening.

I made new connections and watched Congress make America better for all.

Now, it’s time to listen to the President’s recap.

Yes, it has been a very good evening.

I’ve always been attracted to the different.

The tree at the edge of my front yard resembles Charlie Brown‘s Christmas tree – only taller. With spindly branches that extend frailly in every direction, it looks out of place. Its leaves are late to bloom each spring, and during the winter, the snow and ice weigh it down and cause the limbs to bow onto the street so that cars are forced to veer around it.

My wife thinks that I should chop it down.

I refuse.

I think that it has character.

For a couple of years, I’ve posted videos to YouTube. The majority of these videos have been vlogs. I don’t subscribe to many of the popular channels because most of them follow a formula to achieve popularity which makes it difficult to experience a human connection. They don’t respond to comments, so the communication is, in effect, one way. They are entertainers.

Many of the obscure vloggers, like me, focus less on the entertainment aspect of video-making and more of the communicative possibilities. Vloggers share their experiences and their views of the world. They offer glimpses into realities which we may otherwise never see. They respond to feedback and, in doing so, enrich our understanding of others.

They are a diverse collection of lovable characters.

When I say that I’m attracted to the different, I don’t mean the odd, crazy, or bizarre. I mean the calm, thoughtful, and humble. You see, we seem to pay too much attention to the loud, the abrasive, and the self-centered. So much so, that a person with a realistic sense of self has become, well, different.

Watch reality television, read random tweets, or observe how people behave in public. What do you see? I see a society that tends to embrace self-aggrandizement as if it were a virtue. It’s really unattractive behavior.

I find it hard to get to know you, if all you talk about is yourself.

If you are the person sitting alone at a party, I’m more likely to walk over and speak with you than I am to seek out the “life of the party” who craves attention. You’re probably more interesting because you are not trying to entertain.

No chest-beating, fist-pumping, attention-seeking histrionics required.

A person should have more depth than a cartoon character.

Some of the most interesting conversations that I have had have been with people who want nothing. They have no overt agenda and are simply trying to communicate and connect with another person.

It’s during these conversations that we learn about one another. We delve beneath the surface and discover the triggers that make us tick.

Our lows are just as important as our highs in shaping who we are because successes are often built upon failures. Our differences add context to our experiences. The lowly tree is beautiful when viewed in the right light.

To think differently, for me, would be out of character.