AGE AND VLOGGING…. ( a link to the ‘steelcityman’ Vlog #4 on You Tube )
Wel
l.. What a torrid time of late … My dear wife, Christine, has been Very ill (Ventricular Tachycardia) culminating in a Cardiac arrest, but between the pacemaker/defibrillator she had fitted 4 years ago and the magnificent National Health Service we are so lucky to have in the UK, along with the doctors, paramedics and excellent nursing staff … not forgetting the Emergency Ambulance service … she has returned home after a week in hospital and is progressing her recovery nicely, though it will take some time and TLC … time to slow down Mrs. P. !!! ….. (and a quick message for the Tory government “GET YER THIEVING, PRIVATISING HANDS OFF THE NHS !!! …rant over…
Another reason I have been off the Blogging and Vlogging scene, and its something I’ve been considering for a while, is my age … Am I a bit too long in the tooth at 68 years old, to be emulating a raft of much younger You tubers who seem to be very keen to document their everyday lives on a You Tube channel?. Being young , (10-40 years old is about the average age range of active You Tubers), they are so full of energy and sap, they make me look the age I am !! … The Vloggers I follow on You Tube seem to be making quite a bit of money from their efforts too … I think my get up and go has got up and gone !!!. I’m not physically fit, having certain conditions which really limit my mobility, I’m overweight, No hair (or very little), wear glasses, Not very photogenic, and I would look rather stupid in a back to front baseball cap saying, “Yo” and “Wassup?” and trying to sell myself as COOL and HIP….. (there!! my language has betrayed my age !!! ) So, I find it difficult to get out and about and use the energy the younger ones have, to film in various locations around the ‘Steel City’, indeed, around the country… thus making for a more interesting Vlog with more varied themes and backdrops. I just don’t know how they manage to do a Vlog every day along with running several other You Tube channels, I’m sweating just thinking about the effort required. I think I was born too early !! If I was about 16/17 years old nowadays, I would be more at home with the technology and would be a dedicated You tuber with channels galore …. but I’m not, I off times struggle with the technology and certainly with the outdated equipment I have…. But, Hey Ho !! you use what you’ve got and hope for a win on the lottery … lol…. I think I’ve got the lighting right, using two bedside lamps and the natural light from my ‘Studio’ window. When I say ‘studio’ I really mean the ‘Cupboard’ I use to compile my Vlogs. I call it a cupboard, it used to be an extremely small room … now used as an extremely small ‘office/studio’….
So…back to the Age thing … As well as not being able to ‘keep up’ with the younger generation of Vloggers, I’ve searched and searched for some decent ‘Senior Citizen’ Vlogs and found ……… NONE …… that float my boat. There are SOME senior citizens out there in the vloggosphere, not many at all, but some. Mainly Americans, not many fellow Brits. I can’t relate to the American ‘oldies’ who Vlog, because our lifestyles are so very far removed from each other … I know, it’s good to learn about other cultures and all that, but I just can’t relate to the white American Dream … I have learned a lot about the REAL American culture, the NATIVE AMERICAN culture, from a fellow BLOGGER, Who writes her words of wisdom and reality on a WordPress .com Blog. You really should give some time to look at her work, she is one impressive woman. The Blog is called ….
‘Voices from the Margins’ CAROL A HAND is her name and she WILL captivate you.
Anyway, I have concluded that I will continue to write my Blog, and make my Vlog, run them alongside each other and AGE BE DAMNED !!! There must be a niche audience of ‘older’ people somewhere out there … I just need to connect with them and hold their interest so they can get to know me and maybe… just maybe … start to produce a Vlog themselves …. I for one WILLsubscribe to that !!
A more comprehensive insight into the Vlogging and age debate is available on the You Tube link in Vlog #4 
steelcityman 
The way I see it (being older than you) is vlog if you enjoy it, stop if you don’t and to hell with with what other people think! I intend to do what pleases me for the last years of my life – we’ve earned it.
I’m interested in what you say about the American oldies. I’ve been blogging for a while and it seems to me that while you and I (I’m Australian) realise the differences between cultures, Americans don’t think about that at all.
All the best to Mrs P.- and don’t overdo it yourself!
Thank you Helen for your kind and insightful words … You remind me of a poem which begins, “When I’m old, I’ll wear purple ….” Which reflects your thoughts exactly. Mrs P says thanks and bless you …. 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
Sending you and Mrs. P much love and healing thoughts, Pat, from the US of A.
Your discussion about “age” reminds me of the words of an older gentlemen a long time ago. He was in his late 80s and living in a nursing home at the time. When one of his fellow residents in her 60s was complaining about her age, he looked at her and chuckled. “Ah, you’re just a baby still.”
Your willingness to keep learning and trying new things is inspiring for people of any age, my dear friend. So keep at it. You’re a gifted story teller and more photogenic than you realize. You have a delightful jolly way of telling stories. 🙂
Thank you for your kind words about my blog, Pat. My best wishes to you and Mrs. P! ❤
Just a quick note: Rant on! The NHS is a national treasure, and the Tory and coalition governments should be kicked in the head by a team of horses for messing with it. I’m glad your wife’s recovering.
Thanks Ellen, I love you to bits 🌹🌹🌹🌹
You’re a wise man, clearly.
Age should never be a barrier. I like your zest and will in was to try out something new. An elderly woman whom I once interviewed believes in keeping in touch with the trends of things. She learnt how to use the social media at age 70 and is having fun knowing what is going on in the world. So Steelcity man enjoy yourself Vblogging. My love to Mrs P.
Thank you for your kind words, you are a noble person and I will have fun … Mrs P says thank you and returns her love to you 🌹🌹🌹