I've written about authenticity in the past, as I feel pretty strongly that it is correlated with personal success.  While that isn't today's thrust, I just want to assure you that this isn't about $140 pants, fashion, or the like.  This is about authenticity in blogging.

My eldest son is a computer geek.  He laughs at me on a regular basis, which I just LOVE! 

Yesterday, we happened, he and I, to have a conversation about blogging.  He's impressed that his aging mother even "gets" the topic, let alone DOES it, which I ALSO LOVE!  

I mentioned to him that the anonymity of blogging is much like the anonymity of acting.  On "stage"/on "line" we can either be desperately authentic or desperately fantastic, but we're safe behind our disguise.  I used the example of being able to convince, on a blog, the world that I am young, svelt, busty, and blue-eyed.  We chuckled about that for a second.  Then, he and I discovered, that in our separate blogging lives, we had each chosen to be desperately authentic; possibly a little more authentic than we allow ourselves to be in reality.  This, of course, is more than a little ironic, but is just one more thing to LOVE about life, about the safety and freedom of on-line blogging, and about my relationship with this son!

At 50, I'm more than middle aged, and more than grey (don't color, don't tint, don't highlight, although I have "henna.ed" in the past).  Don't do drugs, don't cheat on my husband, don't well.....lots of stuff).  I've earned the right to be me, and to be the kind of me I choose.  If you cut me in half, I'm pretty much the same color all the way through.  Know why?  Its simpler that way.  What, after all, at this point in my life, have I to fear.  Short of death, which cannot come to me DIRECTLY from Active Rain, I'm fairly safe here.  I is iwhat I is.  You can love me, hate me, shun me, or embrace me.  I will always feel the impact of your view, but my self respect is not tied to that impact - at least, usually.  Know what else?  When you're not afraid to be you, you run your business with confidence, pride, and ultimately, with success.

So, in addition to all the things Active Rain has done for me, I love the additional boost that my "safe" authenticity has provided.   When we meet one day, I hope you'll not only recognize me from my picture, but from my words.  Here's to that day!

Normal person,         plus anonymity,        plus audience        can equal crazy.  If you're not careful.