Howdy! Â If you’re a regular here you almost surely know me in the internet way of knowing people, or else your League experience must be quite unusual in that you rarely read the comment threads (which in the case of this blog would be sort of a sad state of affairs):Â I’m Mike Drew! Â I’ve commented here fairly extensively nearly as long as the League has been a thing, starting just a couple of months after it launched. Â I’ve submitted a couple of guest posts and generally made a nuisance of myself, having a great time all the while. Â And guess what? I’ve finally succumbed to the sustained pleading by the editors of the blog for me to become a contributor. Â Well okay, not exactly that: I’ve finally accepted one of a couple of very kind offers over the years to join as a contributor. Â It’s a thing that’s long overdue, and I’m both excited and, frankly, relieved that it’s a done deal.
The delay was all to my own hesitation.  Back around the time management was getting the Main-Blog/Sub-Blog architecture started, our editors very generously offered me a spot as a regular contributor.  I was very tempted, but declined out of a fear that my level of production wouldn’t be enough to justify being featured as a regular contributor for a growing group blog, and also out of an awareness that it would be my first venture in blogging (in published writing of any kind, if I’m honest…) other than commenting.  I thought I owed the place  something of an effort in self-tutorial and practice at my own digs, rather than joining up solely on the strength of my comments.
So I wish I could say it was as after spending the last couple of years perfecting our craft at my own private digs (which do exist, scant as the entries there are) that I’ve concluded that my skills as a writer of blog are finely honed enough to have earned a place on a group blog as esteemed as this one. But it’s not the case. Rather, when I recently emailed a guest submission to Erik, he (very reasonably) replied basically to the effect of: “Mike, dude, it’s just a bother for us at this point to pretend you’re not a member here; how about you just post it yourself? Here’s your password.” (Not his exact words.) And that was that. So here I am.
About me, there’s not a terribly great deal to say. Â I’m a Midwesterner with a somewhat eclectic educational/professional background. Â I studied political science and cello performance at the University of Wisconsin, and have worked with AmeriCorps in school literacy volunteer coordination and in the continuing legal education field. I currently make my home in Saint Paul, Minnesota where my long-time girlfriend is about to start her third year of law school. Â I’m a blind partisan of my home state of Wisconsin and its capital city, my home town of Madison. Â My love of the Midwest isn’t exclusive: I spent some time living on the East Coast (in Long Island City, Queens, NY, to be specific), and enjoyed the experience enough that I’d consider moving back if the right opportunity arose. Â But I’d just as happily stick here in the Upper Midwest. I don’t know much of the Western United States, but I’ve really enjoyed finding out more about it from our significant delegation of representatives to the League from the Great West.
I have a great love for and fascination with the astonishing diversity of concrete realities that we have in this country – among places, people, viewpoints, and, indeed, across time, and I hope to offer some of my (not particularly remarkable) experience of that in what I bring to the League.  That said, I have a tendency in my writing, especially in comments, to get caught up in more abstract discussions of ideas and the meanings of language.  I’ll probably still do some of that too, but I’m going to try to steer my writing toward, as I say, the concrete.  In either kind of discussion, please remember that I remain an amateur in this business, and that I welcome and invite feedback to my posts – on the substance, but especially on the craft of the posts themselves. The former we of course welcome in comments; the latter I’d prefer to receive by email at drew.mike@gmail.com. A main goal of mine in this endeavor is to improve as a writer, so I really am happy to receive feedback of any kind.
With that I’ll cut myself off. I look forward to continuing to share views with you all. In addition to doing that here, for any in the League community who use Twitter, I can be found there and am usually up for a round of truncated exchanges on any topic @MikeDrewWhat. I hope to see you all around a lot.
Forward! (That’s our state motto, not a political slogan.)
***
(The song in the video is by a band called Air Traffic Controllers that I only just ran across while looking for some other song for this post that I thought had the lyric “You Know Me” in it. They’re out of Boston, and the name refers to the frontman’s past as an air traffic controller for the Navy. I hadn’t heard of them, and I consider it a nice find. (They’ve got a kind of Guster/Folk Implosion vibe). This blogging thing is already paying off! I’m also happy to be able support someone who served in the military during this violent era even if in this small, immaterial way. I encourage you to give them a try if it’s your kind of music at all. Some more of their stuff is available at their website.)
Already I’m making mistakes. This is a blog with an international group of contributors and commenters; to ever refer to “this country” as though this blog had less to do with countries other than the U.S is wrong. I have a fascination with the diversity in my native United States. I have an unfortunate lack of familiarity with the diversity and cultures of a lot of other countries, including our sisters and brothers to the north. Increasing that understanding is something else I hope to gain from becoming more fully associated with this venture.Report
Mike, welcome. This is indeed long overdue. I’m looking forward to the bloggy dance/battle (dance battle?) continuing on the main page in addition to the comments.Report
Thanks, CC. I’m going to try to make it a bit more dance-like and less battle-like now that my actions reflect on the site. (Though my foray into the Zimmerman thread probably reflects more, and what I hope to be some of the last, of the previous mentality.)Report
Actually, the more I think about it… I think you (and the rest of us as well) should really be aiming for dance battle. Service is the key: we must both serve and get served in order to advance the conversation through the profound powers of blogging.Report
Definitely agree. Dance battle is optimum for the site (and an awesome concept, I might add). To contribute to that, I need to develop my dancing skills, is all.Report
Welcome, brother. When should we schedule the swirly? Or do you want to be surprised?Report
All depends when you want your over-the-head wedgie.
Thank you, sir.Report
Welcome aboard!Report
Thanks!Report
Welcome. A blog can never have too many Mikes.Report
Exactly. I’ll continue to try to be Michael for general bloggy purposes for clarity’s sake, but I wanted everyone to know I’m a Mike at heart.Report
The League of Ordinary Mikes.Report
Just beware of increased risk of feedback.Report
I was going to make a joke about having the Mikes too close to each other, but couldn’t figure out where to go with it.Report
We need more me’s around here too, but so far management has denied my 10-page proposal for funding (to provide employment compensation equal to a living wage, plus benefits, so as to bring on additional Glyphs).
They just don’t seem to understand the big picture – the need to incentivize quality commenting. This would be so much more than just a symbolic gesture in that direction.
What I am trying to say is that sadly, my “Hire-A-Glyph” white paper appears to remain incomprehensible to them.Report
tl;drReport
This page is full of glyphs.Report
MY GOD, IT’S FULL OF…well, you know.Report
my ears my ears my ears
runs for beeswax.Report
Shouldn’t be that hard. Since 1953, when I was born, 2011 and 2012 are the only two years when Michael wasn’t in the top three names for newborn boys. And for the period from 1954 through 1998, number one every year with the exception of 1960. Rankings from the Social Security Administration.Report
Very nice, I always enjoy your comments.Report
“…or else your League experience must be quite unusual in that you rarely read the comment threads (which in the case of this blog would be sort of a sad state of affairs): I’m Mike Drew!”
Have you met Conor?
…and welcome! Finally!Report
Thank you! I have interacted with Conor in the comments, I believe…. Perhaps I’m mistaken about that.
In any case, to each his or her own in his or her LoOG experience! Judge not lest ye be judged, I say to me.Report
I believe that Conor has sworn a blood oath to never read another Internet comment again in his life, so I suspect it must have been someone else.Report
Yeah, I was just having a little fun.
Though it’s interesting that Conor claims to never read comments, yet he *knows* that comment sections are a turgid swamp. Something’s fishy…Report
Yes, he should be more me and the legions like me that have sworn never to read an Internet Blog Post or Article, yet comment with reckless certitude.Report
That’s an excellent point. Since I waste far too much time here, I’m going to start commenting based purely on titles.
Mr. Drew, you are no Ring Lardner.Report
Ah, that’s right. Perhaps I did before that? I thought so, but I am fallible. In any case, whatever keeps boats afloat.Report
1) Yay!
2) About time!
3) I love that band. “Hurry Hurry” is a great song, too.Report
Totally!
Totally!
Totally! (It’s streaming on their site; immediately caught my ear.)Report
Finally! You can push you god-awful, long winded comments to the front page where they belong!
Welcome, I look forward to enthusiastically arguing with you!Report
About fishin’ time! (Welcome!)
For those who are unaware, Michael’s been a regular almost since we started this place.Report
Congrats! There’s only room on the slack bus for me so I’m delighted you finally got onto the League’s main roster.Report
You’re on the Double Secret Hit List.Report
Those are really annoying to be on, ya know?
Folks that want to kill you — and you don’t even know it!
(Hell, they don’t even know what you look like.)Report
Given your gravitar, I presume you’re here to shield us.
Thank you, sir.Report
Hooray.Report
Welcome!Report
Salud!Report
Welcome on board.Report
Thanks all!Report
Sorry I’m late but welcome!Report
Thank you my friend!Report
This is an attempt at a test comment.Report
Whew! What an eventful first few days as a full member of the not-League of Ordinary Women and Men!Report
There is significantly a bundle to know about this. I reckon that you made certain nice factors in characteristics also.Report
I’m late in offering a welcome but always glad to have another Mike aboard.
I didn’t know you were from Madison. One of my favorite towns in the US. I have enjoyed many a good beer and cheese curd there. I also saw Tenacious D open for Weezer there in 2003 and it still ranks in my top 5 all time concerts. Wisconsin is on the short list of states I would move to if ever asked to leave KY.
Looking forward to reading more of your stuff.Report
Thanks, Mike.
I’m happy to hear that you have enjoyed yourself in Madison. If that part of the country hadn’t been the site for the most recent Leaguefest I’d probably be lobbying for it pretty heavily for an upcoming year. If you happen to come through ever, give me a heads up and maybe I can meet you for a brew and a curd. That goes for everyone, and for now it goes for anyone coming through the Twin Cities area, too.
As to the forthcoming posts, I’m looking forward to writing them, too. 🙂Report