A Lack Of Interaction

I have made well over 2,000 posts to this blog, all but a handful were pretty lame (including this one). It's been so long (since 2005) I have trouble remember why I even thought it was a good idea to start it. I guess I always liked the idea of keeping a journal, but keeping a hand written journal just for myself seemed a bit too failed art student turned book worm, turned manifesto, turned FBI's Most Wanted for me. Plus I like bikes and wanted to focus on my life riding and racing them. So The Soiled Chamois was born. For that I apologize.

Over the years I have talked way more openly about my failed bike racing, life, and personal stuff than a man should outside of his family and therapist. But was done is done and I (probably) wouldn't change anything. From time to time I think about stopping the blog, but to tell you the truth, it gives me an excuse to write, maybe make you laugh, vent to the WWW instead of loved ones, and get some thoughts down. Some of which sort of helps when it comes time for me to write for my day/night job.

As you can tell from my writing, I am not a smart man (thank God for my proofer when I write for XXC Mag!), I barely graduated high school and went to art school 'cause art/design was all I knew how to even vaguely do. But I have always loved to write. I just don't use correct grammar or spelling. Again, I apologize for that.

What I have noticed recently is that blogs just don't get the readers they once did. I'm not sure this site EVER got readers and that's fine by me, it's just an observation. It's also apparent that most folks would rather write/read a sentence or less on Facebook or Twitter and move on. The attention span of the world has become microscopic. Again, I am OK with that. I myself post random crap and what not via social media outlets both as myself and for XXC Magazine and I enjoy it to an extent. As far as XXC I like to inform readers about races, events, news, let them know about new merchandise and xxcmag.com blog updates.

As far as myself, I try to keep any sharing I do to some images from rides, checking in with friends far away, and random silliness and absurdities. I'm not one to share EVERY SINGLE THING I do: "Getting coffee," "Eating at Pizza Planet," "Taking a shit," etc., Or better yet the ones that share every life drama and grievance they have. Then again why did I mention the things I do on this blog?

I'm also not like those political nuts (both left and right) who feel the need to post everything from why the dung beetle needs saved to every Fox News like rumor about how President Obama was born from Socialist aliens, is actually a former Black Panther turned Cold War era Russian spy who has had plastic surgery and was elected by the "liberal media" to undermine the country from within. But then again I have refused to vote since the Bush/Gore sham election and have no plans to vote again in this life or the next.

It's not the whole social media thing that bothers me, most of it is just goofin' off and time wasting, I guess it's pretty much the lack of human interaction that people have nowadays (and for someone like ME to notice, it must be bad, as I am not exactly a social butterfly).

Example: Today I took B-Man to Bob's Barber Shop to get his hair cut. I love Bob's. It's less than a block from my house, there are deer heads and stuffed fish all over the place, they talk with their customers, know everything that's going on in town, do a great hair cut, and will even trim your nose and ear hair (not that I have any!!).

The best thing though is that they know you when you walk in. Today I walked in with B-man and the first thing the dude says is "Hey, how you doin'? How's the magazine going?" That was pretty cool.

So B. is getting his cut, I talk a bit with the barber, etc. There were three other customers in the shop, all three had their heads down, phones out, texting, "updating" and browsing away. Not one word was uttered by any of them the ENTIRE time. Hell for all I know they were all texting each other!

Believe me I am sort of a social curmudgeon, and find it way easier to email someone than I do to call them (most of that is due to the fact that I can be sort of "backwards" talking to some folks on the phone and usually say something stupid or forget my own name or something). I have also run into blog and web friends a few times and really didn't know what to say to them in person, even though we have e mailed and blogged to each other tons of times. Sad.

So what is this rant all about? Hmm.... It seems it has nothing to do with bikes at ALLLL. But I will break it down for you in case you have skimmed ahead:

• God knows why, but me and that lady with all the cats are still blogging.

• I'm not all that smart.

• Bob's Barber Shop rocks.

• People are WAY to freaking obsessed with their phones.

• I'm sort of a slack jawed yokel.

OK, I'm done. Now I gotta go update my status.

Later.