Starting in 2015, I decided to take time at the end of the year to celebrate my network. The randomness that I’ve always loved about Twitter is the chance encounters I’ve had both in-person and online but often stemming from a conversation on Twitter or just something that made me smile.
I have no real formula or criteria for doling these out. This year I tried to favourite tweets that caught my attention and used many of these in my celebrations. You’ll see some are very thoughtful and serious while others are pure frivolity and that’s kind of the point. I recall one of the reasons I started this was some conversation about the value of awards and how often it left people feeling left out or that it was some type of popularity contest. I’m not sure how much this award tries to be the antithesis of that but for me, it is about the delight I find in small interactions or gestures of others. When I think about these people, some of whom I know very well and others I’ve never met, I smile. They bring me delight.
I know these awards mean absolutely nothing. I still worry I’ve left someone out which I know I have but that also speaks to the inequity of any award system. But it’s nice to reflect on those whose passions, strengths, quirkiness, gestures and personalities make me smile. It’s also delightful in seeing others who just enjoy seeing them whether or not they receive one or not. I hope you’ll scan this list and perhaps connect with someone you don’t know and add them to your network.