So here's the thing about blogs. They simulate life, but most bloggers filter themselves in the process of writing, so our blogs are "real" the way a documentary film is "real" ... it looks like a real duck and quacks like a real duck, but ultimately it's not a duck at all, just a version.
Personal diaries have a better shot at being lifelike, I think, because when you write a diary, it's for your eyes only, so there's no fear of being caught. But blogs are like public diaries. I expose myself, but even as I type, I'm filtering myself because in placing these words online, I'm making my diary For ALL Eyes Only, and there's stuff I don't want to tell you.
Yesterday I got a job. I posted a note about it on my blog. The note was two sentences long; one of the sentences had only one word. I guarantee you I have more to say about that job than is contained in those two sentences. And people who read this stuff may be assuming that I talk about any damn thing, and that they can get to know me better by reading the blog. But the fact is, there is no way I'm going to say much of what I'm thinking about that job, because you never know who's reading over my shoulder. And the minute I worry about that reader, I've distanced the final product from reality. Reality: complex thoughts and emotions regarding new job. Blog: two sentences, one which reads "Yay!"
Recent Comments