Day 18: Making connections; pause and reevaluate3 min read

Today’s inane image of the day:

This is how it all happens…

Have you ever considered how powerful and pivotal a computer/laptop keyboard is to your life? Through these keys, we paint a picture of ourselves and entitle them “Personal Statements.” Behind the masked of anonymity, we are able to express thoughts to strangers over the internet that may later blossom into a relationship. By tapping away at these all-too-familiar letters, numbers and symbols, we end up shaping the rest of our lives.

I still remember my frustration with learning to type “proper” way in middle school. I never envisioned how much of a necessity typing would become to my livelihood, my future. Alas, I have yet to correct certain habits that stuck [I don’t know how any one actually uses their tiniest phalanx bone to reach and hit the “Q” or “P” keys — or, maybe I should start workout regime on these two particular trouble fingers]. Proper typing ability aside, I am still in awe of the fact that I expanded my network through the use of this keyboard.

Last night I had the opportunity to connect with a fellow medical student and talented writer, Shara Yurkiewicz to discuss her experience with the AAAS Mass Media Fellows program. Although I will no longer be applying to the program, I took her advice on how to develop myself as a writer, to heart. When the conversation ended an hour later, I had to pause for a moment to digest what just took place; for months, I have been following her blog and only just recently mustered up the courage to leave a comment. In that same visit, I discovered the AAAS Mass Media Fellows program and after some research, deemed it a good fit for next summer. Since I wasn’t satisfied with the information I found to go forward with the application, I sent an email to Shara with a slew of questions. Six hours later, I had a response and a phone date for the following evening.

Admittedly, I build an image in my head of the person writing the blogs I follow — but it’s a unique experience to be able to connect a voice, a personality a person to their written words. I hope that I’ll be able to connect with more of my favorite bloggers in the future!

Following my conversation with Shara, I felt the need to pause and reevaluate. Our chat called into question who I was targeting with my writing and what I wanted to accomplish through my words. Obviously, I want to help someone, somewhere, but with what? Who is that amorphous someone? Can what I say really influence the life of someone I have never met?

I started this blog as a way to capture my thoughts in a very particular moment in time so that in ten, twenty, or fifty years from now, I can look back and chuckle at myself. But by recording my experience through the application cycle, I was helping current and future applicants. By sharing my thoughts, I may be influencing a complete stranger’s life. But am I influencing lives in the way that I want to? How can I more effectively advance the lives of strangers?

There are a lot of questions floating around in my head right now and not enough answers.