Many years ago, I consciously hid this after a direct report referenced a post's content in a meeting, and I suddenly felt compromised and exposed. I share a great deal of intimate personal reflections here. I would willingly share most of these things with my closest friends, yet I consider some of these writings very revealing and personal, and there's an instinctual impulse to hide, constrain and protect. But, from what?
My initial reaction to having somebody I worked with on a professional level only, or an ex-girlfriend of some 30 & years past that I have no ongoing engagement with, or even a neighbor that I consider to be rather judgmental, reading my daily musings, reflections, fears and aspirations… well, it feels a bit uncomfortable.
Authenticity isn't something my generation widely embraced. I feel like more focus went into curating how you are seen, regardless of how you feel. Yet occasionally, someone would share a personal thought or introspection that would lift the facade enough to feel safe, saying, "You too? I thought I was the only one that felt that way!"—giving validation and recognition to the core human experience of navigating a life from a more honest place of inner comfort, even in the face of external discomfort.
The thought of securing and limiting access to this site briefly crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it as absurdly hypocritical. I'll keep writing and exposing myself to the possible judgment of others because the only opinion that matters is my own.
Hopefully, whoever you are and whatever you read here, you too might find an entry that resonates and validates your own experiences. If and when you do, let me know. That shared awareness would be rewarding.