The thing that strikes me most often in the blogs that I read is the honesty. The willingness to be bold and daring. To share exactly what is happening within our lives without leaving the difficult parts out. As far as I can tell in these 38 years is that life is hard. Really hard. Good things and bad things happen and we are asked to deal with them in a silent grace. We get up, get dressed and go to work no matter what is happening to us or around us.
That doesn't stop us from feeling. We feel sad, angry, irritated, frustrated, overwhelmed and empty. We also feel elated, happy, stunned, joyful, courageous, calm, and wild. In between that we feel silly, stupid, mean, bored, ugly, small, and confused.
In our real lives though when a friend calls to ask how I am most often I say I am fine, complain about some trivial matter, and listen to their trivial matters. No one is wailing, shrieking, or even expressing the true range of emotions that are happening in our hearts.
But online you read all of it. Sure, some posts are meant to be witty and perfectly crafted, but those aren't the ones that connect me to the writer. It is the bare emotion, truth telling, and honesty that bridges the gap. There is no screen, wires, technology between us, I am there witnessing their moment and it is an amazing place to be.
I am sure that we share more honestly online because we are not afraid of what others will think. I don't really care if people that I know in my real life read my blog, that is their time and energy. I don't censor my thoughts to make it more comfortable for them. I have also never met anyone who knows me only from reading my blog. It would be interesting because they would be starting at a place that is different then those that know me in person, perhaps knowing some of my inner thoughts rather then even knowing what I look like.
I do know that the up to the minute chronicles of pregnancies, cancer, elder care, graduate school, dating, family life, etc. draw me further into the web that is woven of our collective stories and I honestly feel honored to be part of that moment.
