10.15.2006

How about now?

The medium that is the Internet is quite a paradox. On one hand it opens up whole new worlds to us - people and concepts that before would be out of reach are suddenly at our finger tips. On the other hand, it can also be a secretive place - intentionally or not.

If you knew me in person and we got together on a fairly regular basis, you'd see me in my good and my bad. You'd get to know the parts of me that I disclose and you'd get an idea for the parts I close off. Here though, you only see what I'm willing to show you. Sure, you can draw conclusions based on that. You probably have a pretty good idea of who I am from what you read here, if you read often enough. Yet, there are still things that might surprise you simply because you are wholly dependent on me to feed you information and I've, undoubtedly, over looked a few inconsquential details. Or perhaps I've remained silent on things I'd not want people in my 'brick and mortar' world to stumble upon one day.

It's not a direct tie-in, but that one certain wireless company and it's annoying little ad-persona that runs through the wild blue yonder shouting into a phone, "Can you hear me now?" sometimes makes me think of this bloggity-conundrum. When I write, are you hearing *me* or the person you paint in your mind's eye?

And does it really matter?

I am a strong believer that all things evetually come out in the wash. Regardless of what you hide or what you don't, people tend to figure out who you are - in an abstract sense - sooner or later. If I forget this, my children have a way of reminding me.

2 comments:

... Paige said...

It is true, the part the "internet peeps" see is only the part we let them see. However I do believe that a deep part of us always shines through or perhaps the lake of a shine is key. Which is why so many folks like me preach to our kids you don't know who you are really talking to. This bloggin world can be a good thing, when you find out you are not the only weirdo out there, that thought that. I would wonder about someone if they were just so perfect-ya know the too good to be true people. We all come from & have a dysfunctional family in one way or another, that is part of what makes us humans. The internet is a place where wealth, color, race, country doesn't really draw a line. Sometimes religion is a thang in the bloggin world so that can't be ruled out & I suppose if you look closely you can see color from the family photos that get posted and even the country, as most of us are proud to say where we live. But we are not raging war here. At least not yet. Be who you are let us see what you want us to, what you are willing to share & we will do the same. Readers will either like it or not & go on their merry little way.
Ah oh, I must have spilled my soap, cause my box is suddenly empty.

Steve said...

It's amazing what people will read into what you write sometimes.

No matter how hard I try to get a certain point of view across on my blog, there'll always be someone that'll read it in a different way and think I'm saying something I didn't mean.

Oh, by the way, Hi, Michele sent me.