Disclosure Scares Me

Eeeeeek! This is exactly why I’ve never been willing to blog and rarely update my Facebook status. Given the choice to be judged by statements taken out of context or to be constantly self-censoring, I’ve chosen to be silent.

Friendship

…I know that what my heart wants is what their hearts want, too: to know that our friendship matters deeply, significantly, and that what we once lived and learned from one another, nobody can take away.

Cristina Garcia, Dreams of Significant Girls, 2011.

favorite movie quote

Same Time Next Year (1978)  Year 5, a furious Doris (Ellen Burstyn) spits these words to George (Alan Alda), “This has nothing to do with the god-damned-tooth-fairy.” It’s been my favorite since I saw the movie in the theater. Still funny last night when I watched the movie again on my laptop. The whole movie is much funnier than I recalled. In the privacy of my living room, I was ROFLMAO.

capturing my attention

Just spent a few minutes browsing participant blogs. My favorite blog title so far is “Every burned book enlightens the world.” My overall observation is one of surprise at the extent to which the blog design influences whether or not I bother to read the content. If the design doesn’t appeal to me, I’m tending to simply click the back button to return to the list. Positively embarrassing to find that I’m filtering first by the blog title as it appears on the list, then by blog design, and both before quality of content.

why now

I’ve spent quite a bit of time the past few years facilitating blogging as a tool for others. This seems like a good time to find out what advantage or enjoyment I might find in becoming a blogger myself. I have had other opportunities but found myself uncharacteristically shy.

empty profile filler

I belong to friend site that breaks your profile into multiple sections. Until you complete them all, the empty sections contain the text “Empty essay, fill  me out.” Another member noted that it fit the beginning of “I’m a little teapot.” The challenge was irresistible to me. Hence, the offering.

I’m an empty essay, fill me out.
There are no words here. I do not count.
If you don’t tell all and I have no clout,
How will your perfect match come about?

what is your definition of friends?

Someone asked me this question the other day. Thankfully, it was in the course of conversation via email, so I could think it through before answering. I’m pleased with the result.

• Friends are individuals connected by voluntary trust, affection, and esteem. This connection can be forged by a dramatic shared experience, shared experience over time, or intuition. This connection is not indicative of romantic love, emotional attachment, or sexual activity. Negotiated separately, relationship states such as romance, attachment, and sex may or may not exist between friends.

My question to anyone who might read this: Is this definition broad enough to capture the range of your friendships?