These days we have a choice. We can share on the internet in some capacity or we can not share on the internet.
As we know, a lot of people do share. Especially in the form of Facebook or Instagram posts to connect with friends, family, and acquaintances on their lists. That is normalized. That is accepted. That is good.
Alongside that there is another form of sharing. Sharing in the form of being a public figure, influencer, podcaster, blogger, and whatever else you choose to be in that realm. These are the people sharing publicly for the world to see. That is also somewhat normalized. Somewhat accepted. Somewhat good.
I say somewhat because oftentimes behind that authentic sharing there are people who do not accept this. And usually those people are the ones closely connected to us.
I started sharing on the internet as soon as I could. Xanga, sign me up! Tumblr, yes yes yes! And in early 2013 when I realized that I could be a blogger my dreams were realized.
So you could say that in 2013 I went public with my musings via an extensive google session to figure out how the heck to build a website.
The longer I showed up the more people in my personal life began to discover me and the more uncomfortable I began to feel about sharing so publicly when I am actually quite a private person.
And since 2016 or so this has been something I have battled with ever since.
I am a writer. I write to feel things and to help you to feel things too. I have put pen to paper or fingertips to keyboard since 2001. I have chosen to share my life experiences in a public way. As a result, people I am connected to sometimes get spoken about too. This is a byproduct of sharing real life experiences that people can relate to. I always strive to be as real as possible. To write as honestly as possible. We need more honesty in a world full of filters and fillers. When honesty happens it can create some uncomfortable feelings in those who are unwilling to look at the truth.
The truth.
Witnessing the truth of someones experience. It is confronting. Sometimes it feels a lot like sitting alone at the lunch table in the cafeteria. Other times it feels like being the target of an unfair prank. And then there are moments when it feels like cuddling in a bed filled with fluffy pillows and velvety blankets with your love after a long day.
With sharing my truth my mission is to bring light to the importance of feeling it all in your life. Joy, love, fear, sadness, awkwardness, empathy, surprise, anger, etc. The vast array of emotions on the spectrum of the human experience. What a gift it is to feel it all.
And so, when the decision is made to share publicly, to grow a platform to speak about your human experience or just to speak your truth in general, there will be many different perspectives placed on that. There will also be an immense amount of courage to keep showing up and to keep sharing. But after seeing so many platforms taken down due to “misinformation” through the Covid era I decide again and again to keep showing up. To keep sharing the truth. To cultivate the courage to share and to share in a way that is relatable. No one needs another pointless reel or overly filtered photo. What we need is reconnection. Real people. Real stories. Honest feelings. Open hearts.
We need more of the truth.
THIS WEEKS OFFERINGS