Incognito

I'm keeping a secret from my family and friends, and it's not the fact that I haven't seen my real hair color in about 15 years. It's the fact that I write for Mid-CenturyModernMoms. When I started posting here, I didn't tell anyone the name of this blog, although I did tell them that I was going to be writing something weekly.

I decided this because I wanted to be able to write anything without fear of judgment from those who knew me best (or thought they did). I wanted to be really honest here, and I knew I couldn't do that if I thought the people closest to me would be reading it. 

I have to say, this choice is a double-edged sword. On one hand, I'm glad I can write what I want without hesitation. On the other hand, there are some entries I would like my mother or my sister or my best friend to read and respond to. And of course, I would love to bring traffic to a blog I think deserves to be read, and not just for my posts.

And then there's the issue of letting Leah read what I've written, after all, mostly everything I've written here is about her. Before I started posting here I asked her if she would mind me writing about our relationship, and she said she wouldn't. But when she asked if she could read the posts, I said no. Well, what I really said was not yet. I asked her if she would wait a year or two, so that we weren't in the thick of things, so to say, when she read these entries. It's not that I don't want her to read them, I just think she needs some time and distance from the events, so she can gain a little perspective on them.

So far, I've been happy with my decision, and if I change my mind, I can always tell people the name of the blog. But I think I'm going to keep it my little secret for now.

Comments

[Daisy]

I understand. My extended family members read MCMM, but my son Amigo does not. The posts about his IEP and autism evaluations are more suitable for MCMM than for my own Compost Happens, as he reads Compost Happens. Sometimes, I need to express myself without hurting him. And yes, I think knowing how much emotional energy he costs me might be hurtful. No teen needs to feel that.

[Ali]

I've taken the same approach as you. No-one knows that I write for MCMM and I want to keep it that way. I'm in the process of starting a new blog and I think I'll keep it anonymous too. The things I most feel the need write about require anonymity I feel.

[Scatteredmom]

When I first started my blog Notes From the Cookie Jar, I felt the same way. I didn't tell anyone. But as time went on, I became more comfortable with people knowing.

At some point I began wondering how Jake would feel about my writing about him, and his response was this: "Mom, if telling my stories helps people understand kids like me who are gifted/ld/dyspraxic, then it's worth it." Now he regularly gives me input and even will say, "You should blog that." And so I do!