Is blogging dangerous?

My brain is once again spinning. Maybe it's the crazy week. Some exciting news on Monday (I'll share later), husband having surgery, laundry eerily completed. I had a conversation with someone today that was challenging. Now I know if I post about it, no one will have a conversation with me again because they will be concerned that nothing is private. Not the case, I will protect the innocent at all costs! The conversation was actually very interesting and I can not write my thoughts without referring to it as it is the whole reason I'm writing in the first place. It got me wondering, "Is the internet stage an unsafe platform to communicate?". Not from the unknown predator perspective, we all know about that risk. But from the perspective of communicating in a way that damages relationships and alienates us from others. That got me thinking "Why do we Facebook or blog at all?". I originally Facebooked because a friend told me it was a great way to get connected with people. She was right. Then I started blogging because I enjoyed reading other people's blogs. It was like meeting someone at Starbucks for coffee without actually spending five bucks for a coffee and conversation. Another friend pointed out that you can have your blog printed so that your kids can have a "scrapbook" with insight into your life. Kind of like a diary. Wouldn't any of us love to have something like that from our parents. That sold me on the idea of blogging. My poor children currently have no babybooks, scrapbooks or even consistent journal entries. Blogging is their only hope!

Today, my friend on the phone pointed out that the big downside of leaving your thoughts floating on the internet is that they can easily be misinterpreted and offend someone. In fact, they can be correctly interpreted and as equally offend! I guess the risk is that it is easy to take a stand on something when you are sitting in the privacy of your own home. I usually am not a "pot stirrer". I hate conflict. In the fight or flight aspect of life, my first choice is flight. I would rarely bring up a touchy topic unless someone else started the conversation. Now don't get me wrong. I love to talk and debate. It stimulates my otherwise understimulated brain. But I hate arguing. I believe that we can have equally opposing ideas and beliefs and still discuss them in a loving manner. I also recognize that sometimes when discussing very sensitive topics no matter how careful you try to be with your words, you might still offend someone. So then I got thinking, "If written words without discussion can easily be misinterpreted or offend, why take a chance?". Really, who is reading it anyway! Maybe I could just have a blog that gave updates on our family with pictures to prove we are as cute as I describe us to be! That would be safe and always nonconfrontational. I also considered turning on the "invite only" switch to my blog. But I realized that did not take care of the problem. How would I know who agrees with me and who doesn't. What if you agree one time but not another? Maybe, I should just stop all together? What about my kids' scrapbook? And around and around I go!

Ultimately, I decided that I would compromise with myself. Keep the blog open but add a disclaimer. That way, if someone reads something they are offended by they can say, "At least she warned me"! It is the reality of who I am. Some times it is a strength, sometimes a weakness, but I strive for transparency. I hate superficial and hate when I feel like I have to operate at that level to keep the peace. I just want one "safe base" where I can express myself. I figure my kids will find it interesting when they get older. They might get a sense of why we make the decisions we do. They might understand some life change from a different perspective then their own. They might even disagree with my opinions but at least they will know where I stood.

I'm going to keep the blog open, for the time being, because I know how I have been challenged by reading others thoughts and words. Even when I don't agree, it makes me think and that is always a good thing. The reality is that reading anything printed or on the net is an option. I have been interested in something before, checked it out and then determined that I disagreed on every aspect of what someone was saying. It no longer became interesting or challenging so I quit reading it. The blog is simply what is on my mind. I'm not starting a campaign or debate. I realize that sometimes my thoughts are impulsive and not well thought out. My loving husband reads it but doesn't "get" it. I think he chalks it up to silly girl stuff. I think he is right. It is what it is. Right now, it is simply a way for me to be real, be transparent and be bold. That's it.
P.S. Because I am a people pleaser. I have added tags to my posts. For those who would simple like to check in and get the family updates, you can check out "family updates". For my husband who might be the only one interested in my inner thoughts, I have added a "deep thoughts" tag.!