Did you know that even a blind woman can use Periscope?

What is Periscope?

It’s the easiest way to broadcast video — live, unedited video — from your phone.

It has all the potential for mistakes, regrets, and “oh my gosh, did I just say that!?” kind of snafus.

So, why do it?

That is what I asked myself, especially since I am kind of private and a recovering perfectionist.

And, why in the world would anyone, with a split second’s notice, tune in to see what I am doing on Periscope?

Periscope is warm and welcoming.

It’s not like Instagram where you spend time filtering a picture to make the perfect impression.

It’s not like Facebook where you stage or posture, edit or fix your post so you have the perfect verbage and image.

With a Facebook or Twitter post, you think ahead, type it out, read it before you send, and, often, what do you do? Fix it, change it, cancel it.

You know, we do our best to be the best us we possibly can be on social media.

And, then there’s Periscope. You don’t fix, stage, edit… you just do it. You just press Broadcast and be you. You show the real you in your real surroundings and you get real comments from real people in real time. And, ladies and gentlemen, what is the theme of that last sentence? Real.

Periscope is real.

That is why I am on it and that is why I invite you to be on it too.

That is my invitation to you. I welcome you into my world. I won’t clean my house for you. I won’t fix my make-up or change my clothes. I won’t prepare a speech or memorize a nifty quote for you. But, I will give you something better… I will give you me, the real me, on Periscope. And, when we are just us — the real us — we grow, are comforted, and make the world a little brighter.

Sometimes, I will take you with me to a conference, or lunch, or shopping, or even my backyard.

In fact, as a blind woman, I think Periscope offers a cool option for me to get lots of little cyber guide dogs! Yes, you could be a cyber guide dog! I mean, what if I get disoriented in my backyard and get so turned around I can’t figure out where my house is? I could go on Periscope and invite you into my disorientation! You tell me what my camera is seeing and, together, we make it back into the house safely! Yep, I like that!

I’m going to try to show up kind of regularly. Like, right now, I am trying to keep up a “Three Minute Thursday” broadcast every Thursday about 12:30ish. We’ll see how that goes! If you hear me whistle just as you’re biting into your burger some Thursday, tune in and see what’s up.

I hope you will come and join me.

But, leave the edited, cleaned-up, gotta-be-perfect you behind! Bring the real you! Because the real you is the best you and that is the you I want to hang out with!

Here is how to get on Periscope:

1. Download the Periscope App from the iTunes App Store or the Google Play store.
2. Follow the directions to sign up with either your Twitter handle or your phone number.
3. Then, you will create your Periscope profile.

Use the information found at https://help.periscope.tv to learn more.