Like my previous success, this was a Retweet of a popular account's Tweet. I added my own commentary, and originator like my Tweet enough to Retweet it back onto his feed, where it was seen my many folks.
Suddenly my notifications from these likes rolling in were blowing up on my iPad. Ding. Ding. Ding. It was the sound of the virtual currency of Twitter cred in the imaginary casino of online social media. It was no a mega jackpot, to be sure, but a mild flow of tokens that makes one want to play longer.
I must finding my voice on Twitter, which is as as traditionalist. In fact the account I had retweeted in this case described himself in his sidebar simply as that in one word---"traditionalist." His original Tweet was quoting a passage from G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936), whom I have seen described as "a contender for the most-quoted man on the Right."
Chesterton is certainly popular among the literary-minded figures in the Rightist Twitterati.
Before I joined Twitter, the most I'd ever read of Chesterton was a single quotation, which I had practically memorized in a paraphrase. The original is:
“Merely having an open mind is nothing. The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.”
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| Gilbert Keith Chesterton. Wikipedia: Chesterton is often referred to as the "prince of paradox".Time magazine has observed of his writing style: "Whenever possible Chesterton made his points with popular sayings, proverbs, allegories—first carefully turning them inside out. |
The original Tweeter, upon whose Tweet I commented, had posted one of Chesterton's quotes in regard to modern fear of one's neighbors, and by extension how travel is a form of escapism. I replied off-hand about how one of the most rewarding experiences of my life was the 2003 blackout in New York City. I didn't think anyone would even see my Tweet, but somehow people just got it.
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| An Icelandic woman in my feed posted this. |
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