I was in the grocery store the other day and as I was checking out I was talking to the cashier, Sarah (not her real name) Sarah has been checking me out for 10 years (quit snickering you know what I mean) and I began to tell her I had started a blog. When all of a sudden this voice popped into my head (picture a cartoon bubble over my head) and an inner dialog began.
“Do you want to do this” the voice said.
“Who is this, is this God” I thought.
“Stop before you regret it” the voice warned.
“Regret what” I thought.
” The blog, don’t tell her about the blog” the voice said.
“Why on earth not. She might want to read it and tell her friends and then I will have increased my stats” I thought.
“Precisely” the voice warned.
“I don’t get it, what does that mean” I thought.
” Sometimes you are so dense, what does that mean, stupid stupid” the voice snapped.
“Hey wait a minute. I’m not going to stand here and be insulted by my own inner monologue” I thought.
” Sorry, back to business. If you tell people that know you personally, they might read it and be insulted , or not like it, or learn more about your life than you wanted them to know” the voice replied.
“Oh! I did not think of that. Your right!, I don’t think I will tell her. Thank you voice” I thought.
“Voice, Voice are you there” no answer. “If I build it will they come” again no answer. ” just checking” I thought.
I have decided not to tell the people who know me, except family that I write this blog. I already told the family so it’s too late to rethink that one. After all I wouldn’t want to hurt Sarah’s feelings when I write she is a very slow cashier and I wish she would stop talking because all I want is to check out so I can go home and put things away. I did not plan on taking up residence at checkout #4 and the guy behind me looks like the uni bomber and has some knock you out body odor. Plus I needed to pee and if she kept talking they were going to need a clean up on checkout #4 in about 30 seconds. Somethings should remain a mystery. So Sarah if you are reading this and you think it is me…. you are wrong, it’s not me… it’s someone else who writes like me, because if I had a blog you would be the first to know…honest.
passions and soapboxes 
That’s really interesting… I’ve had the same dilemma. I want people to visit my blog and leave comments, but I don’t want my family to know all the stuff that goes on inside my head.
It is crazy…You let perfect strangers peruse your life but you are uncomfortable with it being read by someone in your life.
I read somewhere that we’re more willing to tell perfect strangers our secrets (chatrooms?) but we’re more closed up around our closer friends and family. It’s interesting, all right. Thanks for your comments! ;)
I agree. Some of my old co-workers read my blog and I love that…but only because I’m not working there anymore.
The weird part for me is the occasion when parents of my daughter’s friends wind up somehow finding my blog. And then they tell me about it the next time we see each other in the hallway. And then I go back and forth on content because my daughter’s school is in a church. Oh well! Makes for uncomfortable laughs all around…
I understand your dilemma. Only my husband and siblings know so far about my blog, and I have wanted to tell a few friends about it, but my inner voice has stopped me, for the same reasons. What if some day I wanted to write about how their kid did not treat my kid well, or something.
On the other hand, I do want people who know me come see my blog, because new friends know only the mom that I am, and I feel that since starting to blog I have found my old self, which very few people know.
Tough decision. Nicely written.
Waaay too many people know about my blog. I’m seriously considering leaving the world according to me and re-emerging under a different name so that I can be anonymous. But then how will you know where to find me?! Listen to your voice!
I first told my BFF because she understands me, and it turns out she “doesn’t have time to read it.” Then I told my dad and my brother because I knew they wouldn’t read it. Then I came clean to my mom and my husband. That was regretable. Luckily my mom lost interest, but my husband pops in every once and while and usually during a rant about him or when he does something funny (aka stupid). I like be anonymous, but I really like high stats. It’s called a Catch-22
I have told ’73 that I will blog about him from time to time and I will try to be diplomatic but sometimes it might sting a bit and that is just the way it is. We have been married for 36 years and he can’t find his socks without me so I am not worried.
I so wish I hadn’t told our family about my blog.