I blog about a lot of stuff. I purposely made my blog fairly niche-less so I could write about anything, from serious thought-provoking topics to dumb rants. I’m so glad that I have an audience who accepts this from me because I love to do it and I love the freedom I have to do it.
But just because I am open and have written about a lot, it doesn’t mean everything is on the table. I don’t lie and I don’t censor myself that much, but I am very aware of how and what I present.
It comes down to readers. I know my mother, for example, is a reader of my blog, so I’ll avoid talking about things that will incite a conversation. Both my parents are kind of conservative and the kind of parents who will turn a joke into a lecture, so it’s just easier to avoid some things altogether.
I also have links/references to my blog on LinkedIn and my resume, and it often came up in job interviews, so I know that potential bosses and coworkers read it, so I do try to be, for the most part, professional and mature. Some stuff isn’t even bad per se, but I don’t want or need people I work with professionally knowing things about me or having the power to know things that don’t relate to work or align with the relationship. Example: I do occasionally drink alcohol and though I am very responsible with it and am always the soberest person at a party, I don’t need a boss knowing about parties I go to, even if it’s normal and reasonable for someone my age to do this.
And speaking of relationships: friends read my blog. I share posts on Facebook once in a while and I know some friends read my blog regularly. Therefore, I’m always sure to protect identities and careful that I’m not sharing anything that could cause conflict or awkwardness. One time I was talking to a friend about a guy I had a crush on. This friend suggested I blog about it as it was relatable and something I didn’t often talk about. I shut down that suggestion real quick because the specifics of the crush were too specific, and I couldn’t risk that as my blog was known to this guy.
Then there’s also stuff I don’t share that protects my identity. While I do have friends and family read my blog, most of my readers are strangers all around the world, and that is really cool but also scares me. I don’t use my full name and I don’t post pictures of myself. While I know that I probably can safely as many do, and I know that not doing so does make some of you be a little skeptical of me, it’s still something I choose to do for my own comfort. So I am purposely vague on some details or just choose not to share certain things.
And as much as I am honest and don’t shy away from getting deep when I need to, I also sometimes worry if I come across as too whiny or too victimized when talking about things like friendships or life issues. I know I’m not the most positive person and sometimes my attempts at being real could be off-putting. I want to be relatable, but not annoying and not repetitive. So often some of the more serious posts get more edits than other posts just so my feelings aren’t as prevalent or boohoo-y.
Lastly, I stay mostly in my lane when it comes to politics or stuff like that, not that this blog is ever that political. I’m a white cis neurotypical middle-class female who has lived a pretty sheltered life and luckily hasn’t had many life struggles, so who am I to speak on anything outside of that realm when others more important have said it first and better. When I need to link resources from people who deserve to be heard more, I absolutely do. But for the most part, I stay away from ‘controversial’ topics. It’s just not what this blog is about.
Otherwise, that’s basically it. There’s still a lot of room for my nonsense and rants and reviews and thoughts. And who knows, maybe down the line, things will change. As I develop as a human and as my life goes on, some things I’m not comfortable diving into now may change. Who’s to say. Guess you’ll have to stick around and see.
Follow me: Twitter / Facebook / Instagram / Bloglovin’ / Goodreads
Coolbeans4 
I love that this is so frank! But too, it feels bound and gagged and I hate that for you. I can’t say that I can’t relate to some of the points that you contemplate and censor though.
I don’t think I like the feeling of this space, your blog, isn’t a place for you to express your own authenticity…any of us for that matter. It puts us under the restraint of masks, masks to suit others that hide who we are and where we are in our journeys. It makes me sad.
I, like you, have these same people follow my blog but with age, have discovered that being authentically myself in all my flawed, perfectly imperfect facets, only brought me into closer more intimate relationship with others, opened up meaningful conversations that revealed that we all have room to grow and much to learn from each other and the ability to feel truly loved and accepted, even in my flaws, in an authentic way because I’ve allowed the people in my life and in the world, to really know ME. …not the facade, the mask I presented that covered my true self. It also grave me the freedom to be, just be.
I may not be today the person I was yesterday, but I give myself that permission and grace to grow and change, expand my borders and I no longer hide the path of my journey that led to my today.
I wish that space for you, that freedom and the joy of being what only you can be….authentically, beautifully, YOU.
I assure you I’m not gagged! I’m still presenting a very honest version of myself. Some of the parts I don’t blog about probably wouldn’t even be that interesting, so it’s not like I’m holding out on y’all.
But I’m very glad that you’re thriving in your space! Blogs are, at the end of the day, our place to do with as we please, and I’m glad you’re able to use that to grow and be free like that! I mostly feel the same, and I’m not at all mad about the way things are for me because it’s what I made for myself.
When I say I completely understand. I really do. There are things I don’t touch on much like childhood abuse…because I have young siblings and their children who follow my blog and… it could hurt them. So yep, I hold back for the sake of others. I get it.
It can be a delicate thing to balance…..both being authentically ourselves yet wanting to either shield others and protect ourselves at the same time.
You should never worry about “holding out on us” as long as you don’t feel you are holding out on yourself. Only you can determine what helps you thrive💕
I have found myself holding back on my blog a lot in the past few years too. Partly it’s because a lot of what I have to talk about has to do with my job, and I don’t want anything job-related out there even if it’s positive or neutral. But I’ve also found myself feeling like my readership wont like certain topics so I’ve held off. I need to quit doing that.
Yeah, jobs and related topics are always a fine line to walk in terms of blogging. On your blog, you have to do what makes you comfortable both long term and short term.