Wearing a mask
Isn't too awful that I've my blog on-line for the whole world to read but when my mom asked to have my blog’s URL address, I hesitated? I felt so disloyal,,,. I'm very close to my mom (thank god) but you always have something to hide from people you love, only because you want to protect them. I don't want her to be worry about me when I'm going through a tough day. This blog helps me to calm down. I don't want to be conscious of who may or may not read my blog because that may affect what I write about.
Comments
You had raised an essential question: everyone who writes a blog, I believe, should think about it. I think it is only natural for anyone who writes -a blog or anything publishable- to feel uncomfortable if someone who knows that person from up close reads her or his pieces. The thing is that no matter how public these blogs are, they give us a safe distance from our readers and most of the time they are not part of our daily life. However I agree with you that it is like getting unmasked, I think we should not eliminate our readers only because they are part of our family or close to us.
Thanks for the wise comment. I guess you're right I should not be fearful about showing my true self specially to those who I love the most.
I've just found you out there and I feel so close to you as I read your words...
you are right; we are not used to wearing one mask for everywhere...
p.s.One other thing is I am pretty familliar with the lovely city of ESFAHAN too!
Heeh! Welcome to the club! I know my sisters don't read my blogs for sure. Some of my friends and other relatives read them. It's funny, but when I see those guys, I don't really want to talk about what I wrote in my blogs! I want to talk about what I didn't write! Occasionally, a friend would bring up something I wrote and I usually jokingly dismiss it! I believe those who have a real and real-life relationship with us, are just going to have to work hard to "see" and understand us like regular human beings! To have access to our "diary" of sorts, is a kind of cheating, I believe! My sisters don't have blogs and I need to be vigilant and sensitive to their lives and needs, deciphering them through calling, visiting, and caring.
One of my friends always starts conversations with me like this: "I read that you went to xyz yesterday and did abc and saw lmnop." And this does get on my nerves a little, because he knows a lot more about me than I know about him! Another one disappears for a long time and when I ask him where he has been, he says: "But I know where you've been! I've been reading your blogs!" Anyhow, it is hard to keep our normal relationships normal when those in our life have access to our blogs, this is what I think. There's not that much we can do about it!
Someone from my past recently made an appearance in my life. She said she had read an article I had written about Gono, the flood in Baluchistan last year. She said she had read it in French in a French class in Tehran! Can you believe it? Something I wrote in English has been translated into French and is in use in a French class in Tehran, all without my knowledge! She said she followed the link and found my blog and after reading "all of it" (!) she was sure that she had found me! Yikes! I didn't mind being found, but really! I do miss my privacy sometimes.
Anyhow, I wasn't much help, was I? I just commiserated with you!
Be good azizam.
You must be from Esfahan??
I don't write much in my blog when it comes to personal matters but I like to have this option. Anyway I'm still thinking about self censorship in my blog but I've not made my mind yet. It's hard!!!
It must be hard when your friends can't stop talking about your blog. I know in one of your posts you mentioned something about this very briefly. If I were you I would have really say what I feel about this. My sister thinks I'm too outspoken and direct. I never hide my feelings when something bothers me. Maybe this suggestion comes from my personality. But it feels so good when you show people (friends) that you don't like to talk about something. Anyway it's your call.
When it comes to copy rights issues, Iran is hopeless. I'm actually very surprised that they have the decency to cite the article on your name so people can find the original one.
Couple of months ago, my dear cousin sent me two books (non-fiction) from Iran. They were two of her favorites and she recommended me to read them. I started reading those but I realized they didn't have any citation to all quoted phrase or stories they referred to in the text. It really bugged me because I wanted to check the original sources either because they were interesting or skeptical. Sadly I gave up reading them.
have a wonderful day.
کل شهر اصفهون دروازه شمرون نمیشه
Have you heard of “Esfahan nesfe jahan” ;)