LJ Idol, the old Boyfriend of a community that I can't quit
Don't join LJ Idol unless you're willing to change your life. Seriously. If you want to stay who you are today, I don't necessarily recommend it.
It's just a community, a writing contest, a group of people who might comment on your writing or vote for you but actually, actually it can be a lot more and that's both the wonderful and the scary part.
LJ Idol can send you to college. Not literally, I'm afraid (funding would be nice!) but I know that being in LJ Idol and writing about my dreams was the first step in a long journey I'm still on. Idol was the beginning, the "I can never do this, hey I could never write papers" to now, now when I have 8 classes and an internship left after this semester.
Idol is the nagging thoughts that will keep you awake at night and a poll that you will feel determines your destiny (or at least your happiness for the week coming up.)
Idol can mean too much or too little so, if you are the fearful sort, I'm not sure you should take the chance. Idol was my first step towards getting published in a real book that is sitting on my shelf RIGHT NOW. That was the first of many times I have been published. No money yet but hey, seeing my name in print is pretty darn fun now and then.
Idol was a key to unlock my dreams. And sometimes I love Idol for it and sometimes I almost hate because LJ Idol is like the boyfriend who got away but you can never fully let go. I love how Idol spurred me to return to college but oh man, I can't say it is easy. College is a heck of a lot of work when you have 3 kids. Sometimes I am nodding over my laptop, writing a research paper and man, I just want to shoot Idol. How dare it get me into this and then leave me to deal with the stress? But the next morning I can't help but love the memories all over again. Idol is there, the "old boyfriend" of memory, wooing me back to at least stay in touch even though I've moved on and I'm busy and man I just can't...but I can and I will because Idol is that love that never quite dies.
Yes, Idol woos me back even though I know, Idol will make me cry. It always does. I never win the thing. Idol always walks away with another girl (at least so far it's been female) and I'm left in the shadows saying, "Hey, I thought you liked my stuff?" and questioning if my words were really as beautiful as comments said they were. Maybe my entries were a little fat. Maybe my curvey metaphors were not enough to hold onto Idol and the crown. Maybe I didn't moan enough. Maybe my bedroom talk should have been more spicy. Maybe I just didn't have it. Maybe love wasn't enough.
But even though I know it will break my heart and make me cry, I hope to sign up again. Really. I guess it's got that "bad boy charisma" going on.
So sign up. Know that even if you aren't crowned the queen (or king) of Idol, you'll learn something about yourself along the way. You'll laugh, you'll cry and (my favorite part) you'll discover that Idol's other friends are not just your competitors for the crown, they are actually a pretty darn talented bunch that you will dream about at night, even if you never meet (I know I do.) How can I love the ones who took away "my prize"? I don't know. That's part of the mystery and wonder of Idol.
Idol is amazing. Difficult. Annoying. Wonderful. And real. Because it's full of real people. Which means there may be drama and hurt feelings and love and hard times and jokes and corny humor and silly pictures.
What is Idol? I don't know. But I know there's something there that keeps me coming back for more. And I hope the rest of you will try it to. It's the lover I can't quit, the dog that comes slobbering to my lap that I forgive and love again, the key to my dreams that makes me work my butt off.
And the funny thing is, that probably won't be what Idol is for you. What will it be? How will you ever know? Unless you join it to and sit down, hang on and type your heart out until you cry. Most of you will leave heartbroken (you won't win) but like me, I think you'll say, "It hurt but man, was it worth the ride."
So yeah, I'm planning to try again. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride, but I'm going to be the bridesmaid you'll always remember (at least until I'm voted out!)
Check out that old scoundrel here:
http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/
It's just a community, a writing contest, a group of people who might comment on your writing or vote for you but actually, actually it can be a lot more and that's both the wonderful and the scary part.
LJ Idol can send you to college. Not literally, I'm afraid (funding would be nice!) but I know that being in LJ Idol and writing about my dreams was the first step in a long journey I'm still on. Idol was the beginning, the "I can never do this, hey I could never write papers" to now, now when I have 8 classes and an internship left after this semester.
Idol is the nagging thoughts that will keep you awake at night and a poll that you will feel determines your destiny (or at least your happiness for the week coming up.)
Idol can mean too much or too little so, if you are the fearful sort, I'm not sure you should take the chance. Idol was my first step towards getting published in a real book that is sitting on my shelf RIGHT NOW. That was the first of many times I have been published. No money yet but hey, seeing my name in print is pretty darn fun now and then.
Idol was a key to unlock my dreams. And sometimes I love Idol for it and sometimes I almost hate because LJ Idol is like the boyfriend who got away but you can never fully let go. I love how Idol spurred me to return to college but oh man, I can't say it is easy. College is a heck of a lot of work when you have 3 kids. Sometimes I am nodding over my laptop, writing a research paper and man, I just want to shoot Idol. How dare it get me into this and then leave me to deal with the stress? But the next morning I can't help but love the memories all over again. Idol is there, the "old boyfriend" of memory, wooing me back to at least stay in touch even though I've moved on and I'm busy and man I just can't...but I can and I will because Idol is that love that never quite dies.
Yes, Idol woos me back even though I know, Idol will make me cry. It always does. I never win the thing. Idol always walks away with another girl (at least so far it's been female) and I'm left in the shadows saying, "Hey, I thought you liked my stuff?" and questioning if my words were really as beautiful as comments said they were. Maybe my entries were a little fat. Maybe my curvey metaphors were not enough to hold onto Idol and the crown. Maybe I didn't moan enough. Maybe my bedroom talk should have been more spicy. Maybe I just didn't have it. Maybe love wasn't enough.
But even though I know it will break my heart and make me cry, I hope to sign up again. Really. I guess it's got that "bad boy charisma" going on.
So sign up. Know that even if you aren't crowned the queen (or king) of Idol, you'll learn something about yourself along the way. You'll laugh, you'll cry and (my favorite part) you'll discover that Idol's other friends are not just your competitors for the crown, they are actually a pretty darn talented bunch that you will dream about at night, even if you never meet (I know I do.) How can I love the ones who took away "my prize"? I don't know. That's part of the mystery and wonder of Idol.
Idol is amazing. Difficult. Annoying. Wonderful. And real. Because it's full of real people. Which means there may be drama and hurt feelings and love and hard times and jokes and corny humor and silly pictures.
What is Idol? I don't know. But I know there's something there that keeps me coming back for more. And I hope the rest of you will try it to. It's the lover I can't quit, the dog that comes slobbering to my lap that I forgive and love again, the key to my dreams that makes me work my butt off.
And the funny thing is, that probably won't be what Idol is for you. What will it be? How will you ever know? Unless you join it to and sit down, hang on and type your heart out until you cry. Most of you will leave heartbroken (you won't win) but like me, I think you'll say, "It hurt but man, was it worth the ride."
So yeah, I'm planning to try again. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride, but I'm going to be the bridesmaid you'll always remember (at least until I'm voted out!)
Check out that old scoundrel here:
http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/