Friday 4 January 2008

Why Mr Bojangles?

Good question.

I have finally decided to start a blog, about being a tech entrepreneur, about digital identity, about my company Garlik, about building schools, about whatever feels important to me really. And the first step was to choose a platform and set up the blog.

All was going well until I reached the stage in the set up process where it says "What's the title for your blog?".

Hmmm, tricky. Something deadly serious like "How to build VC backed companies" or "Digital Identity Matters"? Something playful? Something personal? I agonised over this for about half an hour.

Then I got it. Mr Bojangles. My favourite ever song - especially the Sammy Davis jr. version (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-5bkCkQ3V0). It's a celebration of a life, a happy, sad celebration and I love it. There's a verse that goes

"I met him in a cell in New Orleans, I was
Well, I was down and out
He looked at me to be the very eyes of age
As he spoke right out
Talked of life, Lord, that man talked of life, and laughed
Slapped his leg a step
He said his name was Bojangles, then he danced a lick
Right across the cell"

"Talked of life, Lord, that man talked of life, and laughed" - it strikes me that that's all a blog needs to be. So here's mine. I'll talk of life and laugh.

And one day, when I grow up and stop trying to build companies, I am going to learn to tap dance and I'm going to put on a performance of Mr Bojangles and feel HappySad

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I HOPE AND PRAY YOU CAN SUCCESSFULLY LEARN YOUR DANCE STEPS,WHICH YOU COULDN'T DO 28 YEARS AGO IN EDO COLLEGE.
GOOD LUCK AND BEST WISHES.
DOUGIE.