Formerly Jane Doe
I am starting to lose control in the social media world.
I Facebook. I Twitter. And I participate in no less than 15-20 other websites that aggregate posts by a common theme or provide ten ways to Sunday to look at my data.
Now, I am not, nor have I ever been big on promoting my blog. My blog took on a life of it's own since I started in the blogging world three years ago. I went from a handful of readers to many, really just by word of mouth and people finding mutual interest in what I had to say. I am a "Mom Blogger" and an "Infertility Blogger". Those who have read my blog through the years know that I don't normally censor my feelings, especially when it comes to my infertility struggle. I post the good, the bad, and the heart wrenching.
There are only two things I won't blog about. My husband (except in a passing manner on a funny subject), and work. Especially work. I fear every co-worker would find me on-line and worse, my superiors. I am keenly aware that the written word is forever on the Internet, and thank goodness I came into blogging knowing that from the get-go.
But here's the problem...
Being "outspoken" on these "personal" topics presents a problem when the blogging world and real world collide.
Do I care that tens of thousands of people on the Internet know I had five miscarriages? No.
Do I care that they know unlimited details about my reproductive health? No.
But do I care that people in real life know? YES.
And therein lies my current concern.
I have a small handful of my friends and family that read my blog. And I want it to remain that way. Thanks to Facebook, I get friend requests from people in my life that I DO NOT want in my blogging world. Only problem is... now I have to either completely separate my blog from Facebook, or spend time managing who can see what in my profile ...and all just too exhausting.
Twitter, no different. Now I have to either "block" friends and family (Yeah! that would go over great) OR not tweet anything that could lead them back to my blog.
My anonymity is quickly disappearing, little by little.
Sure, I could stop writing about the things that I don't want "everyone" to know, but that is a disservice to myself. I have made so many friends in the blogging world by relating to them, and them relating to me. My writing is cathartic. The support is immeasurable, and I can't imagine giving that up. Ever.
Perhaps I should just post a new header on my blog which reads...
Hi, my name is ..., YEP! you FOUND me.
If only I could be Jane Doe forever.
Original post by Shelli to New Jersey Moms Blog. ...Shelli blogs about infertility and being a Mom at http://bagmomma.blogspot.com/.
