midweek musings…

“So, hold the phone, your real name isn’t Stormy?”  This is the text message I received from my daughter-in-law, Becky, after she read last week’s midweek musings written by my sister Jeanne.  She was shocked that there was something she didn’t know about me and wondered if I was harboring a myriad of secrets.  She even (jokingly) inquired, “Did you kill a man?”  I assured her there were no murders in my immediate past.  But her questions started me wondering.  It is really necessary for other people to know everything about you to feel connected, or are we allowed to maintain a little mystery.

Thanks to social media, we can express ourselves in a snap via Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat and more.  A friend or family member thousands of miles away can instantaneously see what you are having for dinner or who you might be dining with. We can observe what others are wearing, reading, drinking or who’s hooking up.  Social media also allows people to express themselves through blogs (like myself), personal websites and online portfolios.  If you want to share your world, in the age of technology there are no boundaries.  

Luckily, we are able to choose to be as private or as public as we want.  While I love blogging and the discipline it requires, I never want to be over exposed.  I’m cognizant that the world doesn’t need to know what I’m thinking at every moment and I’m grateful for this medium that allows me to express what I want while keeping some thoughts to myself.  

While thinking about this post, I asked Mr. Smith if he thought I had maintained any mystery in our relationship and he responded “Oh, yeah.”  So, I asked what about the fact that he always says he knows me like the back of his hand.  “I know the parts of you that you let me see.  Even after 41 years of marriage, you still have some surprises tucked away.” So I have maintained some mystery and Mr. Smith has maintained some charm. How cool is that?

C’est la vie.