I have a question
Posted by ivy | Under Ivy Unleashed Thursday Feb 8, 2007What do your readers really know about you? About you personally? How much do you really share?
Why do I ask?
It’s simple really.. I ask because when I finally decided to reveal I was/am bipolar.. I lost readers.. Now I say readers.. But I know for sure of one I lost.. so I really should say A reader.. Before I revealed I was/am bipolar He frequented a bit.. Then when my blog revealed that part about me.. He made a comment about,”you’re bipolar” and he hasn’t been by since.. now this has been a LONG time now.. He hasn’t been by since.. I still frequent his blog and read.. But he hasn’t been back by.. Now normally I wouldn’t fret about a reader who decides he or she no longer likes my blog.. After all.. it is MY blog and we aren’t all alike and we aren’t all going to like the same things. No big deal.. BUT this guy came around UNTIL he found out I was/am bipolar.. So yeah it really kinda bugs me.. It also kinda (KINDA) makes me hold back a little and keep some things inside.. However.. That is really stupid if you think about it.. very silly indeed.. After all.. It is MY blog.. If you don’t like me.. You simply don’t like me.. Not a big deal.. I wouldn’t fret over someone not liking me in real life..
But that is where my question stems from.. How much do you share? Are there things you keep mum about due to what your readers might think?
That’s a good question. I don’t necessarily hold anything back, but I’m not sure if I really share a lot of really personal stuff, either. Partly because when I write it out I think I sound whiney and lame.
That guy is missing out. How stupid! Not a very eloquent thing to say, but still…how stupid. I hate people like that.
I actually found you because of your bipolar. So you may have lost him, but you gained me
I think he is missing out, I agree with the PP.
I do feel I hold back. It took me a long time to mention my bipolar in my blog and I still feel I ‘censor’ myself for the sake of my readers. I agree it is stupid, and I think I will try to stop ‘censoring’ myself. You are right, it is MY blog and who cares if everyone agrees/likes it or not.
I say be yourself and say what you want to say!!
This a really good question..And for me, I think it depends on how vulnerable I am feeling…but, Yes, there are things I haven’t shared yet….I say yet, because I may still share some of them…I hesitate for a few reasons. Some things involve other people and though I do not blog under a secret name, these other people might not be comfortable with me revealing certain aspects of their personality or life, you know?
But generally speaking I feel I am pretty honest in sharing a lot about me….And I urge you to be “true to yourself”….this one person or maybe even more that hasn’t returned…well, you don’t really know why he hasn’t. Yes, it certainly seems connected to you saying you are Bi-Polar, but, it is possible that you touched a nerve in him that he isn’t comfortable looking at yet….it could be so many different things, but as you said, this is your blog. It is for you to do with whatever you want and whatever you need….I say, just keep honoring that, and whatever you do you will be true to you and who you are, and that is what is really important. Just my opinion, of course.
I hold back on things I think could get me in trouble at work or embarrass someone I love. Otherwise, I write what I want. Who cares if that guy doesn’t come to your site anymore. I agree with OldOldLady. Don’t take it personally. Stay true to yourself.
I let it all out. Sometimes I worry about revealing too much, but 99% of the time I go ahead & write about whatever it is. You’re right, it’s YOUR blog & if someone else judges you because of an illness f**k them!
In all fairness to him, his judgements are probably more from being ignorant than anything else. Mental illness scares people, which is why I think it’s so important for us to be it’s voice.
I can totally relate - I’m open with sharing some of the more personal things about me, yet at the same time I can be very vague. It’s not that I don’t want readers to know things about me - If I didn’t, I wouldn’t blog - It’s just that I have a habit of worrying too much about how people perceive me.
For whatever reason the word “bipolar” hit a nerve in that reader. Chances are he’s had a bad experience and/or is uninformed about the disorder and mental illness. But, as another as said, the fact that you are bipolar has drawn many to your site. Perhaps some that are looking for intelligent creative and artistic people?! We do have some assets. Michele
I’m pretty open, I think. I may not reveal specific details like names and numbers, but I call it like I see it. I reckon if someone isn’t happy about what I write or how I live my life or what I have going on with me, that’s their deal. Besides, it’s my blog - I’m glad people read it, I love visitors, but I write it all down for me. If no one reads it, well, I’m still going to write. And if this is my journal, my record of my life, there’s no point in me censoring myself on the off chance that someone else won’t like it.
I don’t share a whole lot because I have a lot of “real lifers” that read. However, I haven’t ever decided to stop visiting a blog because someone else revealed something personal. That would be like stopping a friendship because it became too difficult.
I’ll swim against the “opinion current” here and suggest his not being back for a while could be coincidence, Ivy.