As Stephanie and I stumble through this world of blogging and posting, we can’t help but pay attention to the role that social networking plays these days. As someone who has been slow to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of social media, it pains me to even bring it up, but, alas, here I am. I’ve always been a bit behind; I created a friendster account when myspace had already carved out their place, a myspace account after facebook had taken over, and a facebook account was created for me (because I was so vehemently opposed) by one of my employees so that I could join the 21st century.
Well, along came twitter, and needless to say, I’m perplexed. Is it just me, or does anyone else think it’s exceptionally self-absorbed to believe that other people actually care what you’re doing at any given moment? I mean, I like myself a pretty healthy amount, but even I’m not that interested in me. Therefore, I can’t seem to wrap my head around the basic idea of twitter and the fact that people “follow” each other.
That being said, I can also see the parallels between utilizing social media and manifest destiny. Now, manifest destiny is not necessarily something I support, but I think the concept can be updated and thought about in a blogging sense. Stephanie and I believe that we have been granted a mission to spread good food to the masses and ignoring this mission would be a disservice to humanity. Instead of extending our “boundaries of freedom” via carriage and horseback, we must now extend them via the internet.
In his comments on manifest destiny, John O’Sullivan said, “What friend of human liberty, civilization, and refinement, can cast his view over the past history of the monarchies and aristocracies of antiquity, and not deplore that they ever existed? What philanthropist can contemplate the oppressions, the cruelties, and injustice inflicted by them on the masses of mankind, and not turn with moral horror from the retrospect?”
The same is true of food and drink: What friend of the delicious can lend thought to the travesties brought about by the overly salted, the lite-beered and the chain restauranting and not be moved to show the world a better way? We are inspired to act, and it is with a heavy heart and humanity in mind that I say, “follow us on twitter!” (@ForTasteSake)