The real magic of social networking

Sara — my adorable 3-year-old neighbor friend– danced at her very first ballet recital on Friday. Oh my sugary goodness, she was adorable! 

Here she is, flitting across the stage in her “Magic Tutu.”

Serendipity or synchronicity–or fun, plain and simple: VAMPIRINA BALLERINA debuted on Tuesday!  I wouldn’t have known this, save for my e-connections with the author, Anne Marie Pace. (We met in the blogosphere–Live Journal, to be specific. I took to Facebook much later than she did, and while she’s much more adept at Twitter than I am, I’m glad for all the ways we’re able to stay in touch.)

When I noted the happy coincidence on my calendar, I sent Anne Marie a message: “Shhh, don’t tell! I’m going to give Sara a copy of VAMPIRINA BALLERINA, right after her dance recital.  J  Co-conspirator that she is, Anne Marie sent me a handful of tattoo stickers and an autographed book plate with a special inscription. Here, I've done my best to hide the fact that I messed up when I affixed it to personalized the inside cover.

At intermission, someone handed Sara a bouquet of homegrown flowers, which she loved. She was equally enthralled with the book.

With her mommy’s permission, I posted a handful of pictures to Facebook, including the ones you see here.  The responses were so sweet and affirming! Sara's mommy was tickled pink, as was Anne Marie, who cross-posted this one to her own Facebook page. 

 

"At the end of the dance, the music will fade. The audience will applaud and shout, 'Brava!' Take a well earned bow, for you will have become that rarest of creatures–A BALLERINA." ~ Vampirina Ballerina

Anne Marie told me she was "grinning hugely" when she first saw these photos–and why not? It’s what we writers dream about, isn’t it? The opportunity to see our work in the hands of an actual reader….pure magic, that.

This lovely experience helped illustrate for me the importance of social networking. I'm not in it to help promote a given product, or to create what some people refer to as "platform." That happens organically, over time, I think, and rings hollow when it's forced. The deeper magic (for me, anyway) lies in the fact that we now have so many opportunities to forge bonds with others–heart and soul, more so than wallets.  And for that reason, among others, I'm also glad for my new camera. It offers yet another way to help illustrate (not curate!) the things that catch my eye, to share whatever it is that strikes my fancy. I haven't yet realized its full potential, but I'm thinking it holds some magical properties, too.

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    • 🙂

      I love to take Sara on outings. She’s whip-smart, and has a wide-eyed sense of wonderment about her world. And let me also add: If you’re ever concerned about the level of service in a given store, take a sweet little princess like Sara along, and you’ll get more attention than you ever imagined.

  4. You know, my own LJ breaks every “must” when it comes to blogging, and I’ve never cared, because for me it has always been about the relationships, and that’s why I cling to it as others leave.

    Thank you again for these wonderful pictures. Every time I see Sara, my heart is full.

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