My Twitter Anniversary

August 7, 2009

A year ago I discovered twitter.

You remember…..Nancy Pelosi turned off the lights and cameras and sent the House off on their summer vacations while Republicans, lead by a then unknown (to me) member, John Boehner, used a site I’d never heard of to hold court to get some action on an energy policy because the American people were struggling with $5 a gallon gasoline?

What a year it has been.

I had never blogged before. I’d never written my representatives before. I was a fan of politics, but not really involved. I was just a normal, home schooling mom with a part-time job who voted in every elections and assumed that my representatives would do what was best for this country. I had this nagging feeling that something wasn’t right. President Bush threw just one too many conservative principles under the bus. The Republican party seemed all too interested in “compromise” and “crossing the aisle” and giving their power away to whiney liberals that were never satisfied.

Then came TARP.

And the election. It was historical, all right. It was historical for me because I met Sarah Palin. I understand how many black Americans felt about voting for Obama. He was some one they could identify with wholly. Someone they felt would represent their needs, values, hopes and ambitions. I felt the same exact way when I looked at Sarah. She was me.

After the Election, I felt the coming doom. I was vexed that this was happening. I felt helpless.

Enter TCOT.

Top Conservatives on Twitter was launched and for one glorious hour, I was ranked number 25. My ranking slid rapidly as more and more conservatives piled in the door, hungry for a chance to talk over the elections with other conservatives, plot strategy, and poke fun at the new administration. Michael Leahy became a friend and a mentor. He talked me into leading the very first Melt the Phone campaign. Inspired by seeing Congresswoman Michelle Bachman, we attempted to melt the phones in Washington to make sure all our representatives heard our voices.

An activist was born.

It wasn’t a well thought out plan. I wasn’t being paid (despite what you hear on MSNBC). But my country was in trouble. My children were watching. Opening up my mouth became important.

Since then there have been multiple Tea Parties to attend, opportunities to speak, and blogs to research and write. Too much to rehash here. Along the way, I’ve lost followers and friends who believe differently than I do. But I’ve gained so much more. I have had so many amazing opportunities to speak with–okay “tweet” with–some of my conservative heroes. The day Michelle Malkin linked me was glorious!! And I favorited the tweet from Karl Rove (until the Twitter gods deleted it)!!  And Joe-the-Plumber and I have had a couple of nice chats on the phone.

Twitter makes me feel like I am part of a community. It is so much a part of who I am now that when it was shut down for a few hours two days ago, I just kept clicking the twitter icon over and over again like the rat expecting it’s food pellet. Surely if I push it one more time it will work!!!

I love my Twitter and Facebook friends and foes. They have given my life a new, important purpose.

What a year.

Wonder what I’ll have to report next year? Assuming I’m still allowed to post, of course.

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