Vlogging - For personal use.

(This is the first in what will, hopefully, be a series of blog posts written whilst on holiday in Spain)

When i was last in Spain, two years ago, i recorded a series of video diaries and posted them onto YouTube. Mainly, it must be said, for myself and as a way of reminding myself about the holiday. I have been thinking about doing the same thing this time around. We'll see.
I suspect that, due to limited Internet speed, i'll be doing more blogs than vlogs this time though.

I have looked back on those Spanish videos many times over the past two years and have been very pleased that i bothered to record them. However good your memory, you will always forget some aspect, or detail of a holiday, no matter how good that holiday was. Or, even maybe because of that! So, it is great to be able to remind yourself whenever you want to. I have also been pleased that people have bothered to watch and comment on those videos. I have even had people say to me personally, how much they enjoyed them. That is always very nice to hear and is very encouraging.

Years ago, i used to write and keep a travel diary, whenever i went to somewhere a little out of the ordinary. As did many other people.
How times change!

Over the past few years i have recorded many videos which were originally only meant for purely personal use. Videos that were never really intended to be uploaded to YouTube, or elsewhere. This has been a way for me to record an event, or happening in my life. Such as that Spanish holiday. These videos are often very spontaneous and recorded quickly. But, then some of the best vlogs are recorded that way. Well, in my opinion anyway.

I think that because i've become so used to recording vlogs, during my four years on YouTube, these videos have always come out exactly the same as an "ordinary" "andymooseman" vlog would do. I always record and introduce them in the same way, just in case they do eventually see the public light of day. Apart from that, it just becomes a habit to start a video that way, wherever it is going to end up.

Possibly, because of this, there are very few videos of this type that have not been uploaded to YouTube. That must mean something, although i'm not quite sure what.

For example. I recorded a series of videos about my fathers ill health and subsequent death, earlier this year. These are a perfect example of the type of video i am talking about here, as i never intended them to be seen. Especially, the first couple that i made. They were just a way for me to record something very personal and historical. Albeit the type of history we don't wish to think about.
But, after uploading that first video, i was very pleased and actually uplifted by the comments and general feedback that it got by the viewers. Several people thanked me for posting those videos and said that it reminded them of similar situations that they had faced in the past. Situations in which they had often felt unable to communicate what they themsleves were feeling at the time
This encouraged me to keep recording that series of videos and to continue uploading them.

One reason that i had been, initially, a little hesitant about uploading that first video, was that i didn't want people to think that i was somehow fishing for sympathy. I suspect that this has been a motive for some in the past. But, i'm sure that my viewers and subscribers are smart enough to see right through somebody doing that.

I can honestly say that i am very pleased that i decided to, firstly record those videos and secondly, to actually feel brave enough to upload them to YouTube.
It was a way for me to put my thoughts and feelings of the time onto video. Not everybody would feel comfortable with recording their most stressful and emotional moments and then uploading them for all the world to see. That is not always an easy choice to make and, obviously, has to be a very personal decision.
But, maybe, this goes right to the heart of what vlogging is all about in the first place? Having said that, i would respect anyones decision not to do what i did.

I have often said that i regard vlogging to be a very cathartic experience at times and i've even called YouTube, the psychiatrists couch of the Internet, for that very reason. It gives you a place to say what you want and often something that needs to be said. But, something that you don't always feel able to say to those around you. But, it gets it off of your chest and out into the open.
Vlogging really is a great way of expressing your thoughts, especially at a time of emotional stress and, of course, you are still under no obligation to actually upload, or share those thoughts

But, the reaction you do get, if you do post those videos, might just be more beneficial than recording them in the first place. And greater than you could have imagined.
A problem shared, is a problem halved.

Once More Into the Breach.

Some evenings just don't go quite as you expect them to, do they?
Yesterday evening, was one such evening.

Together with my wife & some friends, i went to a quiz night. This was organised by & took place at, St Michael's Hospice, very close to my home.
I have quite possibly mentioned St Michael's Hospice before, either in blogs, or vlogs. As with any Hospice, or charity, they are always in need of more money. So, i am only too happy to try & help them out when i can. Last night was a great opportunity to do just that.

The evening started off fairly normally. Although the person leading the quiz was having some difficulty being heard & asking the questions. It then became apparent as to why this was.
Unknown to the vast majority of the people present, the poor man was in the process of suffering a mild stroke! Thankfully, his wife & daughter were there with him & started to realise what was happening.
An ambulance was called & he was treated by the paramedics, before being taken off to hospital.

Thankfully, it appears that he was not to badly affected by this stroke & was even able to apologise on his way out (Why do people always feel the need to apologise, even when they have no need to do so?)

In the UK in recent months, we have had a Government tv & poster campaign showing people how to recognise the early warning signs that somebody is suffering a stroke. Even if that person is yourself.
After all, as the campaign states, every second can count in a situation like this. The quicker that the stroke symptoms are recognised, the quicker that that person can be treated & possibly saved.

The campaign uses the acronym F.A.S.T. Which means:
F - Face
A - Arms
S - Speech
T - Time

One of the things that struck me about this whole episode, was that as soon as the people on our table were aware of what had actually happened, we all started talking about the F.A.S.T campaign.
So, regardless of what some people might think about these Goverment campaigns. They do work.
People become aware & digest the campaign messages without really realising it.
That might sound a little scary & i can see why. But, in this instance, i'm willing to go along with it.
If a Government campaign helps to save just one life. It's been well worth it, in my opinion.

Anyway, to get back to the reason for the title of this blog......

As you can imagine, this incident left us all in a bit of a quandary. We were now left with no quizmaster & also without most of the people who were running the quiz. Which also involved the provision of a mid quiz meal.

Thankfully, the quizmaster had left all of his questions & answers behind.
At first, the one remaining lady tried to run the quiz herself. But, it was soon obvious to us all, that she couldn't be expected to do everything herself.
So, i volunteered my services & ended up being the quizmaster for the rest of the evening. Something that i've never done before. And to be quite honest, i thoroughly enjoyed myself.

The rest of the evening went very well, even though i say so myself. The lady was then able to arrange the food & the raffle, whilst i went into "arranging" mode & ran the rest of the quiz.
Although, i have no problem with doing this sort of thing, the hardest part for me was trying to get my head around the questions. Some of which were a little obscure & also trying to put my own personality into the way i asked the questions themselves.
I always find it easier to say things my way & never find it that easy to read out others words. That is especially true when it comes to questions. We all tend to ask questions in our own style. Whether we realise that, or not.

For me, this is yet another example of my experience with vlogging helping me in new situations & giving me the confidence to take on those new situations. Something i may well not have done, in my pre-vlogging days.

So, how did my team do in the quiz? Well, they came last!
I like to think that this is because i wasn't there to help them. But, who knows?
All i know is that i had a good evening. Even though it wasn't quite the evening that i'd anticipated.
We all helped raise some much needed money for a very worthy local charity & i've now added the skill of quizmaster to my ever growing CV (Or, resume, for all you Americans out there)

I just hope that the next quiz night i attend, isn't quite so eventful.