Musings by Melinda

There’s something about the colors of this town at night…am I right? (at Broadway)

“Spring is coming, spring is coming. And all we’ve been hoping & longing for soon will appear. Spring is coming, spring is coming. It won’t be long now, it’s just about here.” - Steven Curtis Chapman (at Nashville, TN)

The Letter Black, Best of Me

Good food & wise words from the neighborhood Cracker Barrel.

Like me, this might not be what you want to hear — but that doesn’t make it any less true.

So long Monday. (at Nashville, TN)

Unknown

Blog originally appeared on the KVBPR Blog.

The meteoric rise of social media has changed a lot of the habits and processes used by today’s news media. There’s no longer time to do thorough research, check and recheck sources and closely edit every story. If you want to be relevant in today’s news world, you have to be first with the big stories.

The Nashville chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) recently hosted Kate Herman, president and publisher at the Nashville Business Journal, for a discussion on “The Changing Face of Media.” During the discussion she said that because of the 24-hour, up-to-the-minute news cycle that has developed from social media channels like Facebook and Twitter, accuracy in the news will be harder to achieve.

As a communications professional I can agree with her. There were quite a few examples of this jump-the-gun reporting in 2012, the most noteworthy being the reporting of the Supreme Court ruling on health care reform. Two major national news networks reported the individual mandate was deemed unconstitutional, when in fact it was upheld. They broadcast this result on TV, their websites and social media channels. They then had to back pedal on all of these same channels to correct themselves, but the damage had already been done. Their inaccurate information had been spread throughout the Twittersphere, leaving people scratching their heads when they heard conflicting reports.

And now they will be known for falsely reporting one of the biggest news events of the year.

As a news consumer, I find this lack of accuracy frustrating. Why do news networks want to be the first to report a story? So the public will see them as the go-to source for all of their news throughout the day, right? Is it worth gaining that status if you can’t get the news right the first time? How long will the public keep turning to you if you aren’t providing accurate information?

What do you think, is it better to be first or to be right?

It’s 2013. It might take a while to get used to saying that or writing it, but a brand new year has arrived. And with that new year comes the infamous fresh start. A chance to set new goals for your life, to try and break old habits, and to do that one thing you’ve been promising yourself you’d do for the past year (if not longer).

I haven’t set many concrete New Years Resolutions for myself this year. This morning I got my daily dose of The Daily Love, which also focused on making a brand new start. It raised some important questions that got me thinking:

What outcomes am I committed to in 2013?

The main outcome I am committed to achieving this year is building a strong, unwavering confidence in myself and what I’m capable of. The year ahead holds new responsibilities at work and the start of my third year living in Nashville. Both of those will present opportunities that are full of big, scary unknowns. Remembering what I’ve already accomplished will help ease my fears about what’s coming.

What layers am I willing to shed?

I’m willing to shed the layers of judgment (of myself and others), worry and the need for perfection.

What new habits am I willing to create?

• Open my heart more to God’s will for my life.
• Appreciate everything I have to offer myself and others.
• Keep up with my exercise and healthy eating routine (without stressing about it so much).

Who do I want to become?

I want to become a person who easily sees and enjoys the beauty of her life. Her intelligence, her abilities, her emotions, her surroundings, her friends and family and her circumstances – both good and bad. And I want to be someone who doesn’t worry so much about all of the aforementioned areas of life.

That’s a start. Check back in 365 days and we’ll see how it went.

“I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine in the house. So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.” - Nathaniel Hawthorne (at Bicentennial Mall State Park)

When I was preparing to make my big move to Nashville two years ago, I knew one of the best ways to make the city feel like home would be to volunteer with a local non-profit. Much to my delight I found the perfect fit, an organization that combined my desire to make a difference with my deep-rooted passion for music.

Musicians On Call brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in health care facilities. The Nashville branch of this national organization launched in 2007, and since then it has initiated bedside performance programs at Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Adult Hospital, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital, Bordeaux Long-Term Care, Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehab Hospital and the VA Tennessee Valley Health Care System’s campuses in Nashville and Murfreesboro.

I’ve had the pleasure of volunteering as a Musician Guide for over a year now, spending one Wednesday evening each month leading volunteer musicians through the halls of Vanderbilt Hospital to play for patients. The impact these visits have on my life lasts long after the few hours I spend in the hospital. As the musicians play, you can see the patients’ moods change in a matter of minutes. There is suddenly a sense of hope and calm in their eyes, where before you saw fatigue and worry. The emotional reaction they have to hearing that perfect song at just the right moment has a way of putting all of the events of your day into perspective.

This year I had the opportunity to become further involved with Musicians On Call by joining their newly launched Young Professionals Committee. With a group of my peers I will spend the rest of the year promoting the cause and, hopefully, starting more programs in Nashville’s health care facilities.

For more information on Musicians On Call, visit their website at www.musiciansoncall.org.

(Source: kvbpr.com)

The sun sets on another glorious day. (at Stratford on the Potomac)

At about 3 p.m. Tuesday I glanced at my Facebook newsfeed and saw a status update that would take all suspense out of my experience watching the Women’s Gymnastics team final that night. The headline read SPOILER: How did the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team Fare at Finals? And right next to it was a picture of little Gabby Douglas sporting her now infamous smile, holding a gold medal.

Some are deeming this the “Social Media Olympics.” For the first time in history, the global popularity of platforms like Facebook and Twitter is spreading the results of the Games in real-time, even if the events won’t air for another five hours. Die-hard Olympics fans are being forced to avoid their social media accounts, and even many mainstream news websites, at all costs to avoid spoilers. 

As a communicator who uses these channels daily for her profession, I have come to terms with the fact that I will no longer feel the same levels of nerves and anticipation watching Team USA compete. Is it asking too much of Team USA fans to stop commenting and tweeting for a full 17 days if they want to remain surprised throughout the Games? Is this the new norm for the Olympics?

The debate over live vs. delayed coverage has become as hot a topic as the athletes themselves. A story by CNN examined the public discontent on Twitter on how the games are being aired. Hashtags and parody accounts like #NBCfail and @NBCDelayed are just a couple of the ways fans are making their opinions known. For others, spoilers or not, nothing will keep them from tuning in.

Have social media’s real-time results changed your Olympics viewing experience?

(Source: kvbpr.com)

What is inspiration? If you were to search for it on Dictionary.com you’ll find the following definition:

1. An inspiring or animating action or influence.
2. Something inspired, as an idea.
3. A result of inspired activity.
4. A thing or person that inspires.

I know, those results are anything but inspiring. For me inspiration comes in the form of a woman who has been my comfort, guide and encourager for the past 28 years.

No one knows me and loves me as completely as my mom. The way she cheers for me as I plow through my life path makes me feel like there is nothing wrong with shooting for the stars – and I should never try aiming any lower. The way she comforts me during life’s trials reminds me that I have the strength to survive no matter how dark the circumstances. The way she laughs with me when I regale her with the stories of my day makes those moments seem even sweeter.

She lives her life to the fullest, embracing new challenges and the potential they have to positively impact her life. She not only takes to heart one of her favorite sayings, but she lives it every day: We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.

Some women run as fast as they can in the opposite direction when they realize they are becoming their mothers. For me, becoming even half of the woman, friend, wife and mother she is would be one of life’s greatest blessings.

Anyone who knows Joan Dale will agree she is the embodiment of inspiration. On this Mother’s Day, when we honor the women who gave us life, I give thanks for the woman who has shown me, and continues to show me, the abundant blessings life brings.

I love you mom.