My dad’s trucker handle was Triple B. He had a CB (citizen band) radio in his semi-truck, his personal truck and a large base unit on the kitchen desk. Every morning he said hello to the truckers in the area who were running the same channel as him.  Advice on picking your handle was to make it personal and descriptive, relate it to something you enjoy, maybe a nickname you were already being called. This advice is oddly similar to tips I read as I was picking my blog name. My dad called my mom Half Pint, me Lil’Jo. I called my brother Scott Snot, though it never stuck as his CB handle.  I had not heard the term ‘handle’ in years; maybe since childhood.

And then I went to The Bloom Workshop. Topics ranged from blogging, social media, photography (I have a lot to learn), styling a shoot, calligraphy and more. 1/3 of the women in attendance were ½ my age. As the session was ending we started exchanging contact info. There were no business cards, no pen and paper being used. I was asked, “What’s your handle Jo?” Wait, my handle? The trucker term from the 70’s?  Smokey and the Bandit, Burt Reynolds, 10-4 Big Buddy?

Everyone had their phones out finding each other’s handle on Instagram; not Facebook, not adding each other’s personal contact info in the phone address book, Instagram. We stood with phones eye level looking up each other’s handle.

I was out of my comfort zone most of the workshop, yet at the same time excited to be a part of this group learning new things. I met Melissa from the blog  The Inspired Room. I met Jennifer from I Heart Organizing. These are two women with huge presence on the web, with thousands if not millions of followers depending on the social media platform. There was all kinds of new lingo and old lingo used in a new way.

 

I’m learning, exercising my brain. It feels good.

This is the Truck Driver’s Daughter, signing off.

Catch ya down the road.

 

 

 

Bandit, “I take my hat off for one thing, only one thing.”