God, There Must Be A Better Way to Build Blog Traffic

For new readers, so my sense of humor isn't misunderstood, I'm being entirely facetious in my title. Yeah, I've never seen the likes of traffic pre-tsunami as I do now. And I am unindated with email, trackbacks, and comments. (My email priority is on folks that need information assistance related to regions I was at first-hand or regarding relief efforts.)

"How does it feel to be part of history?" asks the kindly older gentleman from Santa Rosa, California that offers his assistance on my flight home via Tokyo.

If truth be told and I had my choice, I'd prefer not to be part of history. Or at least not in this manner.

If it were just me involved (truly "it's just a flesh wound") it would be much easier to deal with, but I witnessed a lot of devastation and tragedy first-hand and that's what's racking my mind. I am particularly disheartened when I see people complaining about so-called "taxpayer-funded charity" and "what about causes closer to home" in response to the U.S. government's new pledge to contribute $350 million to the relief effort. But I expected as much because even as close as Bangkok, it all feels so distant and far removed from the bustle of our lives.

At the American Express office (brilliantly helpful) within the US Embassy (not brilliantly helpful) offices in Bangkok, I spoke to one Embassy employee whom had drifted into the office. Speaking with him, his feelings were transparently demonstrated in his tone, expressions and the way he chose his words. He had more symphathy for the Marines in the Philippines having their Christmas vacation being cut short than those who had their lives cut short. Obviously, this tragedy didn't hit home for him.

I know a lot of people reading this blog now don't know me from Adam, you found me on Google or perhaps on Jeff Jarvis' or Robert Scoble's blog. I don't usually write about tsunamis and disaster relief funding. And then there are my regular readers who must be muttering when is she going to write again about anything other than the tsunami (I'm being a bit facetious yet again).

In a lot of ways though, the subject matter isn't alien to what I typically write about. In an older post entitled "Ripple Effects" I wrote:

While writing my post a month ago on evangelism, I was thinking about what my blog really evangelizes. It probably really comes down to:

People Matter (and What Matters to People Sells). A Corollary: We're all kindred spirits and there's a core set of universal values that bond and motivate us.

So discussing the aftershocks of the tsunami isn't really all that off-base for this blog. And if you are just nodding your head yes-yes, but I've got to finish up this annual report or you're a skeptical marketer, you might want to know that no one hesitated to pick up their child in place of the cool, state-of-the-art camera as they ran for high ground. And no one hesitated to offer their tent to use as a makeshift stretcher for those with broken limbs. In fact, I know no one that cared one iota about where their stuff was seconds after the tsunami subsided and they realized they and their loved ones were really still alive. I lost my favorite (a sentimental pair from a lovely trip to Venice) sunglasses - they were whisked from my face as I'm barreling down with the water. I knew it was only a matter of time anyway before I'd lose them. Big whoop. Practicing Buddhist non-attachment isn't a bad practice. Actually more importantly is what the Thai Buddhists call metta or, the practice of loving-kindness. Like Hugh says somewhere (ummm, perhaps in the Hughtrain?), molecules (stuff) are secondary.

Although 9/11 may have had a life-altering effect on the American pysche, the Indian Ocean tsunami will have more of an international one. So many countries were directly affected, and because of the peak travel season timing so many international tourists (Americans were in the minority) were as well. I met travellers from Mexico, Indonesia, Singapore, India, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Britian, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Canada, Australia, and many more. And each of us personally witnessed the havoc to fellow travellers and Thais alike.

I think a lot of people failed to realize the magnitude of 9/11 on the fundamental values and psychographics of Americans. It too was a wake-up call. A re-minder. As I've mentioned previously, market research on teens and 'tweens shows that they are more interested in matters of faith and religion as a result of 9/11. And it's not just youngsters:

Like a lot of people these days, I'm a recovering secularist. Until September 11 I accepted the notion that as the world becomes richer and better educated, it becomes less religious. - David Brooks, "The Recovering Secularist", The Atlantic Monthly, March 2003

People ask me what are the lessons I take away from this - it's just too soon to have integrated all this into my life. Of course nothing will be normal again. There is more of a sense of urgency to do what's truly important and purposeful and cut through the clutter. If you stick around, you'll see the lessons weaved into the threads and texture of this blog and other places.

So I apologize to regular readers if this is getting a little old, but if you give it a chance, you will see this is relevant to your day-to-day life - and yes, even to your business life (if you think that's separate).

Comments

[Janette]

Many excellent points. It's nice to get your perspective on the tsunami as it relates to 9/11.

I hope your knee is healing well.

Happy New Year!

[Chris]

Evelyn,

Thanks for blogging about your experience. I'll confess to not really attempting to absorb the impact of this tragedy for the first couple of days - I was visiting family and only caught network news stories, which tend to just numb me, whatever they are covering.

I got home from my holiday visiting and yesterday went looking for first-hand blog accounts of the tsunami, and found your blog. Through your words, and those of other bloggers, I have caught a glimpse of the depth and breadth, of the extreme human pain and suffering of this disaster, and it shakes me to the core. You, and more importantly the millions of devastated people in the affected countries, are in my prayers. Thank you for writing here, and for your reflections on what's really important in life.

[Robert Scoble]

I'll always be a regular reader BECAUSE of your posts over the past few days. Keep them up. Glad you're still here with us.

OK, OK, I was a regular reader for a long time before this week. Love your stuff. By sharing your life you improve mine.

[hugh macleod]

Yep, it's in the Hughtrain:

"You do not own the molecules. They are stardust. They belong to God. What you do own is your soul. Nobody can take that away from you. "

http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/000823.html

"No way, Man! I was reading Evelyn's blog WAY before she got famous!!!"

"No you weren't!"

"Yes I was!"

...

[theglobalchinese]

Dear Evelyn,

A catastrophe is a catastrophe, a disaster a disaster! Never before, the world was faced with such a disaster and it's not even comparable to the two atomic bombing on Japan in its incredible strength.
Nobody knew in the beginning what the issue of the disaster will be as first estimations spoke about some thousands of deaths, than estimations increased, increased and increased and we all were faced with a new reality, our high tech people against wild animals and primitive population. It seemed that the instincts of wild animals and primitive populations were still intact and they reacted properly to the approaching danger, while the high tech people of the 21st century was totally helpless before the dangers of nature!
This reminds me on two events in my life! A book, written by Al Gore "Earth in the Balance: Forging a New Common Purpose" and a film, "The Day After Tomorrow" made me understand the real issues. I am convinced that bombings like those in Afghanistan and Iraq create the kind of microwaves that strongly amplify earthquakes and contribute to such disasters in a way never before experienced!

Regards

theglobalchinese

[Yvonne DiVita]

Once again...Evelyn captures the emotion behind the news. Regardless of what you write about, Evelyn, you go deep...beneath the skin, the muscle, and into the bone. To the very marrow. Where every human's lifeblood exists...regardless of gender, race, creed, or thought. We are all one race, we are all members of this globe called Earth, and this overwhelming attack by Mother Nature outscores any war, any manmade disaster...those, like you, who are involved, deserve the world's help and support, all of our sympathy, and certainly our undivided attention. For those who challenge this tsunami for its destructiveness...as if over 120,000 lives (many of them children) are not enough...as if this is a contest in which disaster over the last 1000 years was the worst, stop and consider this-- Evelyn and all those involved in the rescue efforts, are following one principle...do what you can, where you are, with what you have. Might we-- outside of the disaster area--follow their lead and try to at least give them what they need?

[Wayne Freedman]

Evelyn,

I would have been happy to include your thanks to the Thailand government, but other comments were briefer, broader in scope, and more compelling.

I, too, wanted to mention your frustrations with the US Embassy, but again, we hadn't the time nor the video in a story that included two other survivors, as well. That's a full piece in its own rite.

Everybody has a story---more than one. I wish we had unlimited time to tell all of them.

Thanks again for sharing your feelings with us in Friday's broadcast.

w.

[Evelyn Rodriguez]

Just to clarify based on the email I am getting. I'm not complaining about the traffic, just reeling by the sudden jump in popularity based on just dumb luck (most of it bad luck, I'd say).

Wayne, ABC News - Sorry if I was complaining a bit about the press in a previous post. I realize there's just not enough time - airtime and column-inches - to cover all the angles of this story and I hope these other angles will be covered eventually in some way. I was a bit surprised never having done this before that three interviews took so much prep time (yours was the quickest by far, thanks) relative to the final resulting story.

[kellieinjapan]

Evelyn,

This is the first time I have come across your blog, and it's so beautiful.. you write very clearly and without bias. I get the feeling you feel guilt because you are changing, and feel like you have to get back on track to the way you are before. You are on track, you are a changed person now. We all are in our ways, as this has affected the collective consciousness of the world - and it hurts. Don't feel guilty to write about your experiences, and if they are mostly, for a while, about your experience in Thailand, then that is your path, and in a way, your therapy. None of us could imagine what you have been through. Your thoughts are insightful and bring ideas to all of us, on how to make this world a better place.