Skip to main content

The Politics of Self-Disclosure

Now that I've decided to make blogging a way of life, do I still have a right to privacy? After all, it's my choice to allow you a glimpse into the inner workings of me. Do I therefore have the right to restrict that choice?

One could argue that if I don't want you to know, I shouldn't write about it. This is true. However, since I'm using this forum to exorcise my demons, it would stand to reason that I'd have to expose some uncomfortable truths about myself. Furthermore, my demons may directly -- or indirectly -- affect people some of the people who choose to read what I've written.

The question then becomes, "How much is too much?" Where am I to draw the line in this situation? For the most part, I've chosen not to use my name or the names of anyone involved. Is that enough? If you can recognize yourself in the details, are you then exposed like I am?

Where is all this coming from, you might ask? After careful deliberation on my part, I've decided to "go public," and tell people outside my inner circle of friends that I'm writing for public consumption. That means that I won't be able to control exactly who's reading this at any given time. Even though it was my choice, I'm not sure how comfortable I am with exposing that much of who I am for people I may not know.

On an entirely different note, I don't know how I feel about letting people see what I've written. For me, writing is very personal. Some people go to the riverside to lay down their burdens; I go to The Blank Page. It's the one place I'm able to unleash myself to be whomever and whatever I want. When I can't find anyone to talk to, The Blank Page is always there, and it's sacred to me. I can't remember the last time I let anyone read things from my collection. In fact, there are only a few people who know I even have one.

Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the real deal -- what if you don't like the way I express myself? Worse, what if you read my expressions and decide that I'm not the person you thought I was? What if you are so appalled by what you're seeing here that you either abandon our friendship or conclude that I'm not worth your time? I know I can't control your thoughts, but I do consider them.

Either way, we're here now, and we've made it this far. Let's just let it ride and see how far it takes us.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A Middle Aged Rant

I am single. I’ve never had a husband. I’ve never given birth to a child. I’ve never lived with a man over six months. I am 54. I’m not classically pretty. I’m overweight. I’m not very tall. My brother says I’m a unicorn. My friends are kind enough not to make me feel small. My mother mentions in passing that she wants me to find a husband. I try not to be sad about my state. I’ve lived a life that some would find enviable. I had my dream job, met and interviewed great people, made great friends, and traveled all over the world. I have a new career that I find oddly fulfilling. Men don’t always like that. Some of them are jealous because I’m not easily impressed. Some are jealous because I’ve done things they haven’t. Some are jealous because I’ve lived on both coasts. I don’t know what to do. I can’t change my life – not that I want to. I can’t change my past – not that I want to. I can’t change myself –not that I want to. I just want someone to see me, not the image I present. I want...

The Five Commandments of Houseguests

It's Sunday night, and I just put one of my girlfriends on the plane. She's a great person, but this weekend wore on me like none other. In her defense, she's in mourning. Her husband just died in September, and she's learning how to live again. They had been together since high school and now he's gone. That being said...there was NO excuse for the way she acted this weekend. Please understand...I'm not perfect. Never have been. And now that I'm 40, I don't feel the need to apologize for it. But NO ONE gets to make me feel inferior in MY house. Absolutely not! My house wasn't exactly in tip-top shape. I work two jobs, sing in the church choir, and try to work out with my trainer twice a week. So my house wasn't really ready for her. Then I realized that my mind wasn't ready for her, either. Even when we were in school, she wasn't the friend I could hang out with every day. More than that, she came with the very mentality th...

To Cook or Not to Cook

I was having a discussion with a couple of friends about whether or not a woman should be required to cook for a man. My girlfriend and I pretty much agree that we have to be inspired to bust a move with the pots and pans. In this day and age where the men we've encountered feel entitled to certain privileges, we believe that he has to do more than just call us a couple of times and come over to kick it to earn a MackDiva-licious meal. On the flip side, the brother we were talking to said he didn't really want to get serious with a woman whose idea of a culinary feat was tacos. We asked him whether he'd cook for his woman. His response? "Well, if I really wanted to impress her, I'd throw it down with my jerk chicken recipe." Upon further examination, we discovered that his need to impress was in direct correlation to some form of inspiration from the woman. At the end of the day, both men and women want a lot of the same things. However, because we speak diffe...