Mystery Solved, aka An Ode to Tanner Welsh

I have been honestly putting off this email because I don't even know where to begin with you, Tanner.  But too often I have fallen silent about the people I care about for the pure fact that I care SO MUCH that I don't even have the words to express it.  This will obviously be sent as an email to RG, too, but I thought it was only right that I should update my blog, too.

For those of you who don't know, I got this book in the mail a while back, and I had no idea where it came from or why.  It was called "We Feel Fine: An Almanac of Human Emotion."  Without looking over the book, I was obviously taken aback, and slightly...confused.  What is someone trying to tell me by sending an almanac of human emotion?  "Here, robot, learn some!"  I wrote a blog about it, but no one came forward...

I emailed the company from whence the book came and got this email in return: "I have reviewed your order and it appears to have been sent to you and paid by Tanner Welsh."  Imagine my surprise!  As it turns out, the book is quite amazing.  It's based on the idea that journals have slowly become replaced by blogs as social networking became mainstream.  The authors created an algorithm to constantly filter through blogs for the phrase "I feel" or "I am feeling," and they started keeping track of self-reported emotions.  The book is this projected amalgamated by location, age, important dates, etc. since 2005.

How amazing.  Not only is this book really interesting for a blogger like me, but also for someone who is working in a project which aims to quantify emotions like engagement, motivation, empathy and confidence to understand social actions across location, project, and movement. 

Tanner, I don't know how you know me so well.  And I'm not really sure why you choose to continue knowing me, and continue to make some of my days the brightest I've had, just for pure fact that you're a part of them.  But you do.  I'm so grateful to have you in my life.  I really hope that I can do the same for you at some point.  And in case my words or actions don't come at the right time that you need them, just ask me when you do.  Because I love you so much, Tanner Welsh.  You spend so much of your time being a rock for other people, I really hope that you know that-- while I may not be well qualified or well-equipped-- I will be your pebble nonetheless.  And I think I speak for everyone in our group when I say that.  Us pebbles make a huge wall, so lean away. 

Thank you, Tanner.  You are such a bright, deep light.  I'm just lucky that I get some of those rays :) 

Related articles to check out:

• WeFeelFine.org - How Are People Feeling? (killerstartups.com)
• Study: Bloggers Are Happy (geeksaresexy.net)