Mile Nerd

2013 is coming quickly to a close. You blink your eyes and suddenly a year goes by. Time doesn’t just fly…it accelerates as we get older. Spooky. Anyway, as I did for the last 2 weeks of 2012, I’m going to take the rest of this year off from blogging. We easily burn out in this game, so I highly recommend you take some time away too. Refresh your minds for a couple weeks. Do a reset. And since this is my last post of the year, I’m going to try my best to make it count. I’ll split this into 2 sections – “Rant” and “Christmas Card.”

Rant

Ah yes, my final rant of 2013. It cracks me up that people actually enjoy when I do this. I think it’s because we all want to feel more free to express ourselves. Maybe in a small way, this kind of honesty gives people permission to speak up in their own lives. Or maybe not. Maybe you just like hearing a moody Indian guy talk about other people sucking.

Today, I want to rant about the current state of mile/point blogging. Frankly, I think it’s terrible. To be more descriptive, it’s a clusterfuck. You have a million blogs to read, and only a handful of them are any good. Of course, you have your sellouts. But you also have a bunch of people who can’t write. And, worst of all, you have cowards. Blogging is supposed to be about expression, and ironically, most bloggers are scared to express themselves. Sometimes, this is for financial reasons (promoting inferior credit card offers so they can keep getting paid) but often it’s because fear is the only language we know.

If you really looked honestly at your life right now, you might see that fear runs the show. You’re scared that you’re not good enough. Scared that you’re not lovable. And you’re terrified that you don’t matter. This fear penetrates every area of life. You might stay in an unfulfilling job because of your paralyzing fear of the unknown. Maybe a relationship with the wrong person because you have such fear of being alone. Some of you are so frightened just by hearing these words that you won’t even take them in. Say hello to your fear of being vulnerable. Of being weak. But what if you felt something different? What if you actually spent the next 10 minutes imagining who you could be without fear? Are you brave enough to do that?

The reason I bring it up is because fear becomes so common that we don’t even recognize it anymore. It just becomes a way of life. Yes, our lives become all about fear. It dictates the way we think. The language we speak. So, of course this has an impact on the blogging world. When I say bloggers are scared to express themselves, I understand how fear turns to insecurity. This insecurity comes in different forms, but is most obvious in bloggers’ arrogance or desperation. Sure, it makes for a bad product, but for the most part even the sellouts aren’t bad people. Now, of course there are a few bloggers I don’t like. Some names that pop into my head are Rick, Torsten, and Scott. To each their own, but I’ve had bad experiences with some of these guys and don’t trust them. Others, like MillionMileSecrets and ThePointsGuy, seem like nice enough people who sold out long ago.

Fear and insecurity is everywhere, even in the smaller blogs. I often get emails from new bloggers asking me to mention them. One example is MilesForFamily. A really sweet person with the best intentions, but her blog is full of desperation disguised as moral superiority. Remember, a writer should be someone who can communicate their thoughts well. Without recognizing fear and insecurity, you can never express yourself honestly. This particular blogger also happens to use more commas in a day than the average writer uses in a month. You wanted me to post about you, so here it is. Learn to write. Focus on your product more. Become more honest and your blog will get better.

On a positive note, some smaller bloggers weren’t gifted writers at first but they didn’t give up. They dedicated themselves and became more skilled. WillRunForMiles is the first name that comes to mind. But when it comes down to it, I really only love 4 blogs. ViewFromTheWing is the best in this category. FrequentMiler delivers the most unique content. TravelBloggerBuzz is a rare voice of the people. And, of course, MileNerd shares the best deals in the fewest words.

Most other bloggers are missing a critical element when it comes to writing – a unique voice. As hard as they try, they never seem to get it. Being negative is not what having a strong voice is about. You can’t rant just to rant. Your points have to actually make sense. And then they have to be delivered in an interesting way. Not easy for most people to do this. Besides being fearful, too many of these writers are just plain boring. Look, writing isn’t for everyone. Maybe another hobby would be better for you. Have you considered learning a musical instrument? How about deep sea fishing? Possibly a new career in web design…

Just one final point in this rant about bloggers. Only a fool is anti-money. It isn’t a bad trait to want things for yourself. Money…success…happiness. You should want these things. Look, if you’re not the center of your own life, you have some serious problems. Comment writers and ignorant critics consistently miss the point here. A sellout is not someone who earns money. It’s someone who screws people over to do it. It’s someone who is dishonest or sneaky about it. A sellout is someone who has hidden agendas. Most of all, it’s a person who sells out their own values for a buck. And there are many bloggers who have done that.

End of ranting for 2013.

Christmas Card

I started this blog as a way to share information with my family. I wanted them to earn miles and points without having to read for hours every day. Basically, I wanted them to get the best deals quickly. Somehow, over time, you guys found your way here. The MileNerd blog has evolved into something different. The responsibility I feel today is to be here for you. I’ll make mistakes, but I will never screw you over. This is something I mean from the bottom of my heart…I’m genuinely grateful that you are loyal to me. And I’m touched that you trust me. At this point…a couple years into blogging…I’m not really getting much out of this. The rewards have been the friendships and the kind words. I understand how you depend on me to be a helpful and honest person, so I will continue to be that as long as I continue blogging.

A few days ago, my little sister’s best friend from law school was hit by a car. She went into a coma and her life is in serious jeopardy. Since then, I catch myself when I’m grumbling about stupid shit every day. It startles me. Why do I lose perspective? Why do you? Seriously, look at your life. You could be lying in a bed unable to speak, but you have the opportunity to do anything you want today. You could be blind, but you’re reading these words. And you could be completely alone, but you have people in the world who care about you. Get happy…get excited…express yourself. Really, what are you so scared of?