a picture is worth a thousand-word story

RCL: Blogging and “This I Believe” Topic Ideas

Passion Blog:

  1. I’d like to stick with my photography passion blog. I really enjoy looking at the iconic pictures and digging for the true story behind the image. Sometimes that’s a little tough because the reality isn’t always what you want to hear about such a famous picture, but in some ways I feel that makes the image even more artistic. There seems to be a secret behind every picture I’ve researched, and it’s fascinating to work to uncover that hidden truth.
  2. If I had to pick a different topic… I suppose I could follow in my sister’s footsteps and create a Gratitude Blog. My sister is incredibly humble, kind, and wise beyond her years, and I admire her ability to turn any situation into a learning experience. Her blog focuses on stories that eventually lead her to feeling immense gratitude, and I know that it is almost therapeutic for her. I’d still rather stay with Picture This, but gratitude is another option if needed.

Civic Issues:

  1. For my Civic Issues blog, I want to work within the Politics category. Though I don’t have it completely narrowed down, I have a couple ideas floating around. One idea is to do a broad U.S. Foreign Policy blog. Though it’s not exactly focused, it would give me the chance to talk about and explore the many complicated aspects of foreign policy and the expectations/requirements/mistakes of the U.S. in terms of international affairs.
  2. My other idea involved really narrowing it down to discussing the politics of war, or even the politics of international terrorism. I think there is a depth to the reasonings behind U.S. wars and the way the government handles terrorism that the public often ignores. It is not easy to decide to go to war or to react to a terrorist attack, and the people in government are not (believe it or not) all blubbering idiots. There is strategy and discussion involved, and politics come into play so much more than the public realizes. It’s not simply fighting the “bad guys”. The government has to consider the ramifications of combat and invasion, both in the U.S. (such as the effect on the economy) and in the world (such as creating potential future enemies).

This I Believe:

In high school, I wrote “I Believe in Phone Calls” and described how much I loved phone calls as a child and then grew to shy away from conversations over the phone. I realized how much I missed the excitement of getting to talk to my siblings while they were at college. Those are small, generally unnoticed feelings, but it took writing the essay to realize how important they had been to me. So I want to focus on something small again, a moment or feeling that would seem insignificant to others, but one that holds a lot of weight for me.

  1. “I Believe in the Fireman’s Carry”
    • I also had to write an autobiography once (at the age of 16), and I recently read over a part in it in which I talked about my dad throwing (much younger) me over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. One time, my dad picked me up and commented that I was getting big and that he wouldn’t be able to do that much longer. I remember thinking in that moment that maybe I didn’t want to grow up… that if your dad couldn’t throw you over his shoulder and carry you, maybe being a “big kid” wasn’t so great. What I didn’t know then but know now is that my dad continues to carry me, but in a different way. My dad supports me and uplifts me, and he has figuratively carried me more times than I can count… and that’s okay. It’s okay to grow up, and it’s okay to still be carried sometimes.
  2. “I Believe in Not Asking if You’re Okay”
    • Last semester, when there was a ceremony held for 9/11 out front of Old Main. On my way back from class, I saw a girl sitting on the steps, crying. I didn’t know her, and I had no idea why she was crying, but I decided to stop and sit with her. Something told me to just… sit. I didn’t ask if she was okay; for some reason, I felt it wasn’t my place to ask. In that moment, I felt that she didn’t need to talk. She didn’t need to tell her story. Or, at least, I shouldn’t force her to tell me unless she wanted to share. She just needed someone to sit quietly with her so she wasn’t alone. She hugged me and thanked me, and we parted ways.

7 Responses to “RCL: Blogging and “This I Believe” Topic Ideas”

  1. Bailey Jensen

    I think continuing with the subject of photography would be a great idea. Your blog last semester was really fascinating to read. I talked about photography in my blog last semester and I really enjoyed it, so I’m even considering continuing it as well. I also think you could do a lot with your civic issues topic and since it’s something you’re interested in, you could learn a lot from the research you’ll put into it. I really like your “fireman’s carry” idea for your “This I Believe” essay. It’s so personal and important to you. It would be really interesting to see what you could do with it.

  2. Tanner Quiggle

    I think your passion blog should stay the same. While they are both good ideas, just remember that it is supposed to be about YOUR passion.

    As for the civic issues blog, I am a big fan of discussing foreign policy and that may end up being what I write mine on. That being said, I think that there is a way where you can weave both of your ideas together. I think what you want is a combination of the two ideas that you had…personal opinion.

    Geez, your “This I Believe” ideas blow mine out of the water! How come cool and philosophic stuff always happens to you! I think either one would make a great idea but I have to think that naturally you will write better about the one that relates to you personally, that being the first one.

  3. JP

    You HAVE to change your topic. Kidding. Stick with Picture This, I’m a fan of photography and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of your posts, and learning more about the iconic pictures of our past.
    For your civic issues blog, I think it would probably be much easier to do the broad Foreign Policy one, as it is, as you said, a broad topic. There would be stuff to talk about each week, and, if necessary, you could delve into the past and find interesting cases of foreign policy failures and achievements if you were lacking in material one week. I think that’s the way to go, you don’t want to narrow your focus too far, otherwise just finding the material to write the blog on could become a hassle.
    Finally, the “This I Believe” post, I’ll be honest, I kind of still don’t understand the whole point of it? Kind of in the dark, probably could have paid better attention or done more research or something, but I like the sound of both of your ideas. I really have no idea which one you should pick, solely because I like both topics, but they are both so so different, I don’t know which to choose. So, I leave the decision up to you, Ms. Decisive. Have fun!

  4. Megan Rowland

    I never was able to read your blog posts about the pictures, but it seems like such a cool idea! Everyone has a different interpretation regarding pictures and each person can tell their own story with them, so it would be interesting to see how you interpret them! I also like the idea of blogging about politics for civic issues.
    This will be a very interesting topic and you could find a lot of information on it. Both of your “This I Believe” ideas are amazing! The one that really touched me was the one in not asking if someone is okay. That is a very true statement and you could take many different approaches to it.

  5. jrs6441

    You have some truly amazing ideas here. I love the idea of a photography passion blog. I really look forward to reading your posts in that blog. Also, both of your ideas for the civic issues blog are relevant and I’m sure you will be able to write endlessly on politics and war. Your “This I Believe” ideas made me a little emotional to be quite honest! I love both of those values and I really admire you for sitting with that girl on 9/11.

  6. Ani

    I completely agree that you should stick with your photography blog. I love looking week after week at it and learning something that I had not known before. To me, it is really fascinating that you can learn so much more about a picture when you know what was going on around it. A picture speaks a thousand words, but sometimes they do not tell you the truth.

    As for your ‘This I Believe’ I whole heartedly love your idea of the Fireman’s Carry. I don’t know whether it is being fully away from home for the first time, or something else, but I have been extremely sentimental lately and your idea is just that. I really look forward to reading it if you chose to do that topic!!!

  7. Peter Rivera

    As always Hannah, your blog posts are superb…even this one! I am in definite favor of you keeping your photography blog and find no reason for you to change it. I would be more intrigued in the politics behind international terrorism and war than foreign policy. Mainly because I think foreign policy will factor into somehow and I also think our government shies away from many important facts on purpose in order to garner the most patriotic reaction. But I would read either type of blog! :).

    For your “I Believe” posts, I think perhaps the “fireman’s carry” one would be more…suitable for you? It’s obvious that it’s close to your heart and it struck some chords with me on how I still depend on my mom to tell me if I’m sick or if I need help or not. I also think you’d have an easier time writing about it as well :). As always though, I’d read either type of blog.

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