We are indebted to Madkentdragon for her contribution to our blog. She is one of our staunch supporters and her blog is well worth visiting. Madkentdragon, is part of our Big Society, she worked for the Royal British Legion for 20 years before retiring and still helps out on a temporary basis when there is a problem or lack of staff.
Here's her blog
What is Twitter? It is defined as a “micro-blogging site” where a Tweeter can use 140 characters to describe what they are doing. But to many of us, it is so much more!
When I was first introduced to it by Nicola (@NicolaRBLClubs, I looked at her page and thought “Is this for me? Can I understand the abbreviations and the protocol and most of all – what do I say?”
At the time, although I found plenty to say, I had to minimise my opinions and use it mainly for the Charity I worked for and also found it useful to pass on information on what the Royal British Legion was doing in my County.
However, since I retired I have opened up a whole new world of news, funnies, and other Charities. I have read more about what is happening in the world, so much more than I could see on the news on TV and read in the papers and often within a few minutes of it happening – it is so interesting!
I have also discovered so many charities and fundraisers, all promoting a charity or an activity to raise money for the charities, I have also found out more about the charity I worked for – more than I knew than when I worked for it! The world is my oyster!
I’m a pensioner and cannot afford to donate to every charity – but I can help promote them just by re-tweeting them so that my followers can read about them. Because of my family’s military associations, I do tend to support the military charities more than the others and of course the Royal British Legion is my primary charity. However the military personnel leave behind families who are left to cope with raising a family, paying the bills and keeping it all together – these people are “serving” just as much as the spouse who is “over there”.
One of the Charities I have become involved with does just that – The Home Front Forces Org., which is there to support the parent and children who are missing the other part of their family and need a little help; but without Twitter I would never have known them.
Finally, and most importantly I have found friends! OK they aren’t the ones you sit round the table and have a coffee with, but they are the ones you can make a coffee and chat to on Twitter. I am sometimes house-bound, I have COPD, and to chat to someone on Twitter – may be more than one at a time means that you are not alone; you have friends who will support you, advise you, tease you and make you feel worthwhile; not a housebound person with health problems staring at the walls!
Recently, I had family problems and a nasty flare up of my condition and the caring comments and inquiries and support I received was fantastic! I even had an offer from a Tweeter to visit my son in hospital in Wales because I was unable to travel to see him!
So, you Mums and Dads who are coping whilst your other half is “over there”, come and join us, you’ll find plenty of like minded people on here – and even special offers at times! And by the way, I’m @madkentdragon – I’ll introduce you – so come and find me!!
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