(Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 11 - February 16, 2026)
The details behind Nicole Curtis commenting on this blog in April 2012 were a minor mystery. I wrote nice things about her show and basically, she thanked me. In addition to this being a special moment, it was a thought-provoking surprise that forced me to concede that my wife was right and I was wrong. At the least, the TV star was aware of my writing here. And that was very cool.
Around
this time of my life, I would often visit online question and answer forums for
do-it-yourself renovators seeking advice. While some questions, the softballs,
would get flooded with helpfulness, other advice seekers would get nothing. These
blatantly overlooked peeps had taken time to describe their issue and formulate
a request, sometimes even post a picture. And yet all they got were cyber
crickets for days.
I
really wanted to help these folks, to do what I could. I suppose it’s a little like
me taking on my unwanted houses; in these forums I was filling a need, trying
to help the DIYers who were being unnoticed. And a funny thing would happen
sometimes: once I made an effort to help the person make some sort of progress,
others would chime in, and the once ignored would get a variety of additional
suggestions to compare with mine. And I was sure that was really helpful. I was
happy to be the lone commenter, equally pleased when I instigated a trickle,
and amazed when my thoughts were followed by an avalanche of aid.
Because
of blog comments and emails, it was clear that my participation on these
Q&A sites led folks back to my blog. And one of these people may have been
connected to the home improvement networks. Perhaps this person, or someone
else, told Nicole Curtis about my post promoting her and the hit rehabbing program.
I'll likely never know how the blonde rehabber found her way to my blog.
However,
what I must admit now, so many years later, is that my mind began to percolate
on this unexpected development, inspiring me to think, I have their
attention. Meaning: the people at HGTV/DIY know about me. Right or wrong,
that's how my brain began to process the comment from the popular rehab addict
on television.
(Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 13 - Coming Soon)
