the blog dilemma

Gary and I were talking tonight about a blog-related dilemma we’ve both encountered — namely, that when you spill your guts in a virtual forum, you run the risk of repeating yourself when you feel like telling a story later on in a face-to-face environment.

A case in point: My last post, about the gaffe made en route to the airport this morning, was something I wanted to tell Gary tonight, but I realized he may well have already read it here. And honestly, who wants to hear a story you’ve already read the punch line to? It would be like knowing ahead of time that you’re supposed to laugh at Paul’s fish joke. 😉

At any rate, I sorta decided for myself a while ago, when it became clear the blog was gonna stick around for a while, that I would keep most (if not all) of the more descriptive details of my personal life out of public view. Sure, I’m happy to describe the general trajectory of what’s going on, and to amuse you (I hope) with observations of little things I observe along the way. But since other people’s feelings and lives are involved in a more detailed synopsis of my life, it just feels *wrong*, somehow, to explain in greater detail. I know that can lead to feelings of confusion when trying to navigate the murky waters of who’s who in my social circle, but to be honest, I’d rather confuse than offend. I hope y’all understand why.

So … all this is to say, trying to figure out the line between amusing/informing and giving too much information is tricky business.

So if I repeat myself next time we’re talking, I promise I won’t be offended if you say, “Uhhh, Liz, read that on your blog already.” I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it before or not, but I don’t have a very good memory about such things (or most things, for that matter).