Don’t Blink

I like to advertise the fact that I don’t watch TV, but there’s a new kind of TV out there, one that may be harder to ignore.   YouTube started out as a video blogging platform, a way for ordinary people to communicate with each other (sort of) face to face.   It’s exploded into a phenomenon that will soon affect all of us, at least those with a high-speed connection.

Recently I mentioned that I’d been watching a series of videos called “Telling It All” by Peter in England.   It’s fascinating because he’s a real person sitting in his living room telling us about his ordinary, and yet extraordinary life.   Ordinary because he achieved a goodly measure of happiness and satisfaction by his own efforts, extraordinary for the same reason.   He is us, if we’re lucky.   The premise of blogging is that we all have something to add to the mix that is our world, we all have our strengths and weaknesses. In other words, we’re individuals just like everybody else.

In the last couple of days, Don and I have seen videos of some of the most incredible guitar playing we’ve ever seen.   Even more than sheer skill and virtuosity, there are some breathtaking innovators, many of them still in their ‘teens or twenties.   Two of our favorites were Andy Mckee and Eric Mongrain.   Until now, a person with extraordinary talent of any kind wasted a huge chunk of their productive life just trying to get onstage.   Now nearly anyone can find an audience, there’s someone in the world who would like to see them.   There are no guarantees, it’s just as risky as ever to quit your day job, but at least you’re ‘out there’, you’ve got a shot.

Google just bought YouTube for $1.65 billion, and there are huge deals in the works with major TV networks .   These people smell advertising bucks and the face of TV is about to change.   But, as soon as it gets boring, folks, there’ll be something new.   Don’t blink.

Lisa Miller