March 9 -- Lisa's Musings From Every Day Life

In light of my disastrous start with video media -- and I'll have an update and Part II on that saga tomorrow -- I went out on quite the refreshingly ironic assignment today.

I headed to Daycroft Montessori School on Zeeb Road in Scio Township where students have pledged not to use any type of electronic media this week.

It's part of March is Reading Month.

I should mention here that before I left for this assignment, I'd spent an hour learning about social media during a "Webinar."

And, after I figure out the video thing, I'll move on to this "New News Ecology," and become a new Social Media Socialite.

Or maybe I'll be a Newsalite ... there are so many new techno terms for being a reporter these days, I'm not sure what I'll become.

But it will be someone who will have more conversations with my readers, albeit via my laptop.

Today, I'm really well squished road kill on the Super Information Highway; tomorrow, social media darling ... or is that 'Dar-ling'.

Meanwhile, these kids get to go a WHOLE seven days without TV, video games, The Internet; the whole enchilada of stuff that discourages face-to-face conversation.

By the time they're reconnected, I'll be better connected.

But I'll be longing for a chance to go a week without e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter. It sounds just heavenly.

Because the purpose of these kids' electronic-less week is to encourage reading, family time, and getting outside.

They get to listen to birds tweat -- not tweat via keyboard.

It makes me all a-twitter just thinking about it, breathing in that fresh air, getting muddy running around outside, curling up with a good book.

What a delightful way to spend a week.

In fact, when I was sent the press release about the event, I e-mailed my editor and asked if I could do it, too.

She didn't respond.

And my editor always responds to my e-mails.

I took that as a resounding NO.

So, maybe when I'm up to snuff on on this social media stuff, I can ask all the readers of A2 Journal and the other Heritage papers, my Facebook friends and blog readers to write letters, e-mail, Facebook and Tweat my editor on my behalf and convince her to let me take a week to just read books.

And, of course, get paid for it.

If I could get everyone to participate, it would show her that I've mastered the fine art of social media.

Readers could remind her of the number of book reviews I could write.

And, I'd even promise to read one (or even two, since this is all I'd be doing) books about perfecting my social media skills and making better videos.

By reading, maybe then I'd understand search engine "spiders" and come back with clever ways to engage my readers with all these new social media tools I've been learning about.

You could get by for a week without me, couldn't you?

Especially if I came back a week later armed for journalistic bear?

I really need to think about this seriously.

Then see if I can get all of you to go to bat for me with every media tool at my disposal.

I'm liking this idea more and more ...

Social Media, here I come.