You like me just the way I’m not.

by theycallmejack

This is my 250th blog post.

I could look back over my blog and how far I’ve come since I started it, but let’s face it, I do that kind of thing pretty much all the time don’t I? So instead, I’m going to discuss my views on the reality of blogging, and internet life in general, and what this blog means to me.

I was thinking this while on the bus the other day. I have a lot of deep thoughts on the bus, but I suppose, that’s because I spend a lot of my life on buses, and there’s rarely ever anyone to talk to, so I have a lot of time for deep thoughts on the bus. But anywho! I was thinking how false people online are.

Personally, I try to be honest on this blog and on Facebook and Twitter and whatever else, but I freely admit to bending the truth, if only slightly. There are certain elements of my life, that I choose to keep away from the public eye. For example, if me and Mat have a fight, it isn’t something that I broadcast to the world. But what is the effect of that? People only see half the story, and so then they form their opinions on something which isn’t necessarily real life.

If you go by what I publically discuss of my life on the internet, then you perhaps get the idea that I lead something of a perfect life, with a perfect relationship, a perfect family, friends who I fall out with from time to time, but by and large I’m a very happy guy. And I’d say that’s very much a generalisation rather than a mistruth. My life is certainly filled with more good than bad things, but that doesn’t mean that the life that I seem to lead is the life which I actually lead…

Its scary to think that so many people are using social networking sites, and so have very similar situations, or perhaps with even greater differences between reality and their front, where their lives are actually a world away from what they seem to be…

Protecting yourself with a veil of pretence is really nothing new, but the danger of technology these days is that you can do it completely unintentionally. And then people form an opinion of you based on something which isn’t quite true, so then they act a certain way towards you because of that, and then it can all spiral outwards like that…

Is there really much to be done though? Honestly, I don’t think so. There are certain aspects of life that you do want to keep to yourself. Sometimes you want to keep things to yourself so that you can pretend that things are really ok when they aren’t; sometimes its easier to allow people to believe things are fine than face up to the fact that they aren’t, and observe the effects of that…

I know that I certainly won’t be revealing it every time I face some kind of obstacle in any part of my life.

So what’s the purpose of this blog then? I’ve just said I don’t intend to make any kind of change in the way I present myself, so what was the point? Well, despite my love for conjecture and speculation as my mind wanders and prods and pokes the way society works as I blog, I’m writing this to say this: My life, and everyone else’s, are not what they seem. I have just as much hassle, drama, and general annoyance as anyone else. When I write about how happy I am, I’m not lying, but I’m not telling you about all the times I’m sad either.

But that said, I think I give you readers a pretty fair generalisation. As I said, by and large, everything is as I tell you. But its the odd bump in the road that I avoid discussing…

The interesting thing to think about now is where would we be if people didn’t keep that stuff to themselves? What if everyone was 100% transparent with their lives? We have it enough at the moment as far as I’m concerned with those people who make up and break up and slag each other off in between all over Facebook. I honestly doubt many people would care, in fact, I’d imagine most would see it as an annoyance…

In summary, is it a good thing or a bad thing? I really don’t know… sure it would make things a whole lot less complicated, and you’d know where you stood with people if everyone was really open about their lives, but it’d take away that mystery and romance and excitement of life… so no, I’m glad people don’t blurt out all of their lives all of the time, I’m glad people keep some stuff to themselves!

I’d rather believe that people are cheerful and happy than miserable and depressed. And if people are miserable and depressed enough to have to talk about it, then that’s when you know you need to be there for them!

Jack out.

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