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Networking

     Networking sounds like a pain.  Somehow I get this picture of dressing up in a suit and seeking out influencial people, pretending to be friendly in the hopes of getting what I want from them.  I get the idea of going to boring meetings with a myriad of other self-serving individuals.  I get the image of somebody going where he does not want to go and spending money that he does not have to spend...all in the name of "networking".  No wonder I think networking sounds awful!
     But what if, in fact, networking was not meant to be like that.  What if networking was actually fun and beneficial?  What if networking is what I am doing on this blog?
     I have been typing out stories and pieces of things on Microsoft Word for years.  What made me open a blog?  To tell the truth, it is because I wanted feedback.  I thought that feedback was exactly what I needed to take my writing to the next level.  I wanted to find readers who could enjoy or criticize my work.  I wanted to find other writers to share their own joys, struggles, and advice on writing.  Essentially, I wanted to network.
      If this is networking, I have a completely new concept of it.  There is a community here.  The ability to interact with the other writers and readers inspires me and keeps me from becoming stagnant.  It is fun and, far from being a drain, it adds to joys of writing.  This, perhaps, is what networking should be.
     What are your thoughts on networking?

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