These Amps Go To 11

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I didn't ever think I'd be a person who blogs in an airport, but here I am at SFO doing exactly that.

I feel like I should write something profound to justify me expending battery life here in public, but I really don't.

I have learned that while I do like to think deeply, that putting on airs of being inspired and fully engaged 100% of the time I post is unrealistic, because the truth is sometimes I just feel like writing for the sake of writing, and sometimes the thing I feel isn't all that profound. I just want to be here, on the internet. The friends I made here were worth a plane ticket and a hotel room even after killing my credit after holiday shopping for an enormous family. And now that I'm at the airport, leaving them behind is suddenly striking me.

The bittersweet sadness of leaving friends behind in a city can be profound. But to tell the truth, when the good memories outweigh the sadness of leaving by leaps and bounds, the emotion is often quite simple. Love in the sense of friendship or camaraderie is really not all that complicated. You like people, they like you back, you keep in touch, you meet up when you can, when you do, you laugh, you laugh, you laugh.

Some friendships are simple.

Life itself isn't.

And in 2011, I promised to figuratively live louder than I ever have. Leaps of faith. Making an impact on career. Getting back on stage. Quitting Cutting back on smoking (let's be realistic). Networking harder to freelance. Following through on projects I keep promising myself I will accomplish.

Life is complicated, and to be louder to overshadow the other noise isn't easy. Sometimes, you just become part of the noise.

To continue on with the analogy of noise vs. signal (otherwise known as SINAD), noise is usually influenced by a lot of factors. Those factors can be reverberation, distortion, equalization, etc. etc. A signal is often a pure tone. You need a good signal before you can shape what the noise will sound like.

Signal is kind of like simple friendships. I keep forgetting that a simple friendship is a good foundation for building something great, like an #SFNYE, if you will.

Maybe, if I want to live a life louder, I have to start simple and let the complexities propagate on their own.

Keep it simple.

Pick up the signal, filter out the noise, and then turn it up.

This year, these amps will go to 11.

  • http://phampants.wordpress.com phampants

    #SFNYE was simple. And so were our smoke breaks. Amp it up Nico. I'll see you again soon.

  • http://www.justatitch.com Amy — Just A Titch

    I've been thinking a lot lately about what makes friendships work, and sometimes, I think the Internet has the magic formula because there's no pretense, no past, no commonality. You just like one another, plain and simple. And then you go from there.

    For the record, giving you enormous hugs and getting to tell you about life in person was a kick-ass way to start 2011. Love you, friend.

  • http://emily-jane.net Emily Jane

    I wish I could've been there too, I bet it was a fantastic way to bring in the new year! I love your analogies; as always, so insightful and brilliant. :)

  • http://habbala.blogspot.com Habbala

    Seriously crying at my desk. (Shouldn't be a shocker to anyone at this point) This is so well-put and beautiful. Can't wait for 2011.

  • http://jehlik501.wordpress.com cari

    i fell the same way about blogging sometimes. sometimes i want to simply write to write, or to really be simple. sometimes that's harder than one thinks.

    the one thing i know is that no matter how often or infrequently you post, i'm always excited to read it. :)

  • http://www.writingtoreachyou.com Ashley

    An airport vlog with zero travel metaphors. What does a journey of a thousand miles start with, Nico?? Louder was my goal for 2010 and I don't know that I succeeded in quite the way I hoped, but the -er meant I only had to make a little more noise that I had before and I know that I did that. In 2011, I hope to make even more noise.

  • http://ashalah.com Ashalah

    Loved this, living louder is something I plan on doing this year. I lived pretty damn loud last year and I want to continue it. Here's to making noise! (and to amazing weekends with amazing friends!)

  • http://www.katieblogs.com Katie [Blogs]

    Hi.

    DeLurk.

    Let's meet in 2011.

    Simple enough?