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Posted On 03.18.09

This isn’t a private or anonymous blog. I made that decision early on because a) I wanted to share and connect with people I may have never met in person and b) I wanted to be as authentic as possible. I never wanted to feel like I was a different person here on this blog than I was in real life. I didn’t want this to be a platform for me to be someone I was too afraid to be in real life. There is just one me and I wanted to keep it that way.

I have struggled with censorship on here before. Some things that happen in your life may just be too personal to share with everyone. I try to be as open and honest on here as I can because I thought maybe someone out there can relate to what I write, maybe it would help them to know they aren’t alone, maybe my stories would put a smile on someone’s face today, or maybe they would inspire someone to do something in their own life. You see readers, I love you guys. I write this just as much for you as I do for me.

What I write is just a quick snapshot of what is going on in my life and in my head. And just like with a snapshot, you aren’t getting the whole picture. You can’t see what is going on outside the frame of my post. And you can’t get the whole picture from just a few paragraphs.

It reminds me of the story about the blind men and the elephant. The poem talks about how each man touches a part of the elephant and from just the small part he feels tries to decide what the elephant is like. One feeling a tusk thinks it is like a spear. One touching the trunk thinks it is like a snake. One touching the ear thinks it is like a big fan and so on. But all of them are wrong because not one of them has the complete picture. And that is the unfortunate part about the blog. You will never, no matter how much I write, have a complete picture.

I think I have realized that some things may be too personal to write about here. Especially if they are about more than just me. You see every time someone reads written words, they read them differently than the next person. What my words mean to me could mean something totally different to someone else.

Whoever said “Sticks and stone can break my bones, but words can never hurt me” was gravely mistaken. Words can hurt, sometimes much worse than any kind of physical wound. I have been hurt many more times and much more deeply with words than by any kind of physical pain in my life. I don’t want my words to hurt anyone. So to anyone who has been hurt by my words, I am very, very sorry.

See, that’s why I like your comments. I like your feedback to know how my words are affecting you. I enjoy blogging, but if no one else enjoys my words, I would rather just keep an old fashioned journal. Because a blog is not private. The internet is a world wide forum and you never know who is going to read what you wrote and how it will effect them. If you like what you read let me know. If you are bored by it, let me know. If I’m not really as funny as I think I am, let me know.

I don’t know. I just feel down today. I feel hurt and confused and just really wish I could have stayed in bed. I might need to take a break from blogging for a while.

(Yes, I know you probably guessed witty guy read my blog and didn’t really like what he read. He is a really nice guy and I have a lot of fun hanging out with him so it makes me upset that he was upset. I'm sorry witty guy.)

Right now I am thinking I might never blog about dating on here again. Because dating is about two people, not just me.

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March 18, 2009 5:31 pm

I have a couple rules about what I put online. If I even have a slight niggle in the back of my mind about whether or not I feel comfortable putting it out there, don't. Those are the things that you wind up regretting later. Also, if it involves the privacy of someone else in a way that could compromise them, don't. That's just a matter of courtesy.

I think one of the biggest problems with writing online, even when using your real name, is the perceived shield of anonymity between you and other people that the internet provides. This is compounded if you have poor personal boundaries as it is. I like to stop and ask myself, "could I say this and stand behind it in real life?" If not, it probably doesn't belong online. Of course, that is a whole other can of worms. Many people don't feel comfortable or confident delivering their opinion in public and standing behind it. Doing it online seems like a great alternative, but it can bring on a whole mess of other emotional issues that you weren't prepared for.

March 18, 2009 5:47 pm

"I like to stop and ask myself, "could I say this and stand behind it in real life?" If not, it probably doesn't belong online."

@Brian, that's one of the tests I use. Doesn't mean I always get it right, but then who always gets it right in face-to-face conversations, either?

I'm also reluctant to post information about other people without getting their approval. Just because I'm okay with something doesn't mean they are, and their opinion is just as valid as mine. It's not like refraining from posting something hurts me.

March 19, 2009 12:56 pm

@Brian- I probably need to listen to that niggle from now on. Especially when someone else is involved. But at the same time I think the standing behind what I write and not backing down just because someone confronts me is what I need to work on even more! Thanks for the tips!

@Kate- I like your idea of always getting someone's permission if you are going to post something that involves them. Even though you may have had discussions about what you are writing about, it is a whole other thing to share all those thoughts on your blog and them come across it and be surprised.

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