I sat down a week ago to create a new post and my mind was blank. I didn't have one thought or one thing to share that was interesting enough to post. I had viewed the Voice Thread "What Does the Network Mean to You?" which I enjoyed, but it didn't trigger any big ideas. And then a day or 2 went by. I had just returned from a trip to CT to check on my 90 year old father when I sat down and opened the newspaper (Boston Globe, 1/30/10). And there she was. Bubbe - an 83 year old grandmother who has become an Internet sensation, a West of Boston grandmother with her own cooking show. According to Bubbe herself, she didn't even know what email was 2 years ago. Bubbe was so low tech that she was quoted as saying that she thought the Internet "came out of the air, just like nothing." Now she is the star of her own online kosher cooking show called "Feed Me Bubbe" that is produced by her grandson in her 1950's style kitchen. Bubbe (Yiddish for grandmother) has made such a connection with people that she receives emails from all over the world. All this fame is the result of a demo tape that her grandson had made of her for a job interview two years ago. All of a sudden "Feed Me Bubbe" took off. Bubbe now has a website(http://www.feedmebubbe.com/), a Facebook page, and an online store. Bubbe has even attended two Internet conferences with her grandson and she will be featured on this week's PBS "Frontline" documentary "Digital Nation". How did this 83 year old grandmother go from retiree to Internet superstar?
As I read this newspaper article (The Bubbe System by Linda Matchan) I had to smile. It even made me laugh. Suddenly, I was inspired. If Bubbe could do it, then I could do it. And so could all the other technologically inexperienced people out there who are not quite up to par in their knowledge of digital media. This story is not about professional connections or anything remotely related to education or schools, but I found it inspiring. To me this story is a story about unlimited possibilities - about unlimited potential for personal growth and making connections and tapping into the power of the Internet. I think I'm starting to get it. Bubbe has connected to people in her own powerful way. The followers of "Feed Me Bubbe" are not engaging in any intellectual pursuit by collecting Bubbe's recipes and learning Bubbe's "Yiddish Word for the Day", but they are making a connection and they are communicating and they are out there in the digital world. It may not be as good as a face to face connection, but until I can meet Bubbe in person it just might have to do. Who would have thought that my inspiration for the week would be Bubbe?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I loved your commentary Trish. I too am inspired by the story of Bubbe. Thanks for sharing. I sure have a ways to go and I am amazed at how long it takes me to figure things out but I'm getting there. I keep tapping into those Habits of Mind. Taking responsible risks; Applying past knowledge to new situations; and persistance are three Habits of Mind that are getting a real workout these days!
ReplyDelete