I’ve been blogging and tweeting for a while now and I know exactly how many hits I haven’t been getting over the years. Between Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud and WordPress, I figure that my posts reach about 45 random people (that number probably includes a few spambots) over the span of a few weeks. Suffice it to say, I was very surprised to find Toronto Life linking to my SoundCloud page.
I’m happy that my conversation has sparked a debate for a few people and that the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Interestingly, any real criticism of my conversation has come from within the Occupy movement more so than from critics who are opposed to the movement and therefore opposed to my call in the first place.
I went into the conversation expecting to leave a message on a machine and intended to record just my message to post for my Facebook and Twitter friends as a way of saying, “See how easy it is? This is the number you have to call”. I hadn’t the slightest notion that over 3000 people would listen to it by the end of the week. I wasn’t trying to land any verbal punches on the mayor, I was looking to hear what their response would be to my questions. My questions. Unlike my conversation partner, I wasn’t working from a script and I wasn’t attempting to speak for anyone other than myself.
That said, I was obviously prepared to talk to and record Tom. I had called the week previous and had a very short, 5 minute conversation with him. I found his talking points so myopic, I just felt that it was more important for my friends to hear the Mayor’s office explain their position without having it filtered by the media or broken into pieces for commercial breaks.
I went into the conversation with these objectives:
1. Voice my support for the Occupy movement
2. Be respectful and don’t seek an argument
3. Ask how many people the mayor’s office had to hear from in order to reconsider their position and ask where a suitable location would be to hold this protest
4. Listen to what they had to say
5. Don’t bother trying to convince the person on the other end of the phone of my position.
After that, I was just a concerned citizen flying by the seat of my pants.
I would love to hear Tom’s response to your questions! Truly! You don’t even have to call in your support or lack of for the Occupy movement, you can call them to demand that our libraries are kept open!
416-397-3673
