I am truly overwhelmed by the warm welcome I have recieved from the ADR and Legal blogging community. I first stumbled on to the idea of blogging when I was surfing the net in search for people and organizations that might be interested in my book. Those sites with blogs were the first to respond. The Law Prof Blog put up an announcement for my book within 30 minutes of my email. And other blogs immediately picked up the announcement.
Well that led me to start researching blogs and I found a great ADR blog directly run by Diane Levin. Then I noticed that there were two bloggers in toronto in my field in Toronto. I contacted both of them, Stephen Raymond - a first rate mediator-arbitrator and Michael Fitzgibbon a well known management side lawyer from Borden, Ladner, Gervais. Both of these colleagues and now fellow bloggers were enthusiastic in their support.
But the icing on the cake came from a well respected mediator lawyer in Beverely Hills, Victoria Pynchon at www.mediatenow.blogspot.com. Vickie even took a couple of calls from me and helped set up the blog. All of these fellow bloggers have shown the kind of support that reaffirms one's faith in human beings.
As I pondered my stellar luck this morning in hooking up with such a warm community, it occured to me that there is a parallel to earlier, perhaps simpler times. It takes me back to stories of my youth in Saskatchewan where people from all around the community would take time off from working on their farms to help the new family build a home on the prairie landscape. Indeed this feels like the new frontier. And on the frontier, people pitch together to ensure that it becomes a better place for them and those who come after them.
To my new found friends in the blogging community, my thanks from a fellow pioneer on this great new frontier.
4 comments:
Blaine, thank you so very much for this wonderful message for ADR bloggers. I hope your experience encourages others, still waiting in the wings, to step forward and take the first courageous leap into blogging. You've discovered what drew me here and has kept me here, still marveling at the community and connections that await us all. Thank you, too, for joining the conversation. I look forward to hearing more from you!
Best wishes,
Diane
Well as my friends will tell you, it will be hard to shut me up :). Thank you for the response.
Yes!! in spades to what you and Diane both say, Blaine. And look at you, blogging happily away, meeting new people, uploading photos, making new friends. The blogosphere is what ADR is all about -- reciprocal and collaborative. Diane was my mid-wife and I am more than happy to have been one of yours as I see you now toddling off to bloggy pre-school . . . Warmly, Vickie
Its really been fun so far. And meeting all these interesting people has been a great benefit.
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