All posts by Nfrisone

Local Media

Rallying Around Local Blogger, Oren Miller

oren

In this social media age, we’ve all encountered people on Twitter, or even Facebook, that we do not know. Some of them are complete idiots, while others are pretty funny and caring. Oren Miller falls into the latter.

About a year or so ago, I noticed Oren following me. He stood out because his Twitter handle was @BloggerFather. And also because he’s a smart ass and pretty funny. Let’s be honest..us smart ass, funny guys have to stick together. So naturally I gave him a follow.

Oren is a blogger from Owings Mills. When he became a father in 2007, he started blogging about his experiences as a stay at home dad, and how to navigate the 21st century as a father. His blog caught on, so he created the Dad Bloggers Group on Facebook. There, dads can share ideas, collaborate, or even vent.

I noticed in late May, Oren hadn’t tweeted in a while. On June 3rd, he posted a new blog. Oren had been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. The comments on his post ranged from shock to being supportive. I, was in the shocked category.

Oren wrote a long blog that day (link below) in which he reflected on his life and his future. His family, friends, and fellow dad bloggers flocked to his page and immediately offered whatever they could. As of right now, they have raised $35,000 to be put aside for his wife and kids futures through a Give Forward page (link below) They also have various other fundraisers going on to support them.

You’re probably asking why I even wrote this. My answer? Even though I’m not a father yet, I can tell you just by reading his stories and anecdotes, he’s a hell of a smart person, and passionate about life, especially his family. He created a place for dads to come and be themselves,  and in the crazy thing we call life, that’s not always possible.

In Oren’s Cancer blog, he makes these requests:

About his little girl “Play with her. She needs you.”

And his son: “Answer every question he has, or at least direct him to a place with answers.”

Oren has had our backs for years now..we’ll have yours buddy.

Always.

A Blogger And A Father: http://www.bloggerfather.com/

Cancer Blog: http://www.bloggerfather.com/2014/06/cancer.html

Give Forward Page: https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/ytv4/give-back-to-oren