At Year's End | Two

I think Elvis looks rather like Piglet in his striped sweater.

One of my challenges this year has been understanding online relationships and perceptions that are formed through the internet. Earlier in the year I shared a list of things that people might be surprised to know about me (e.g. I wear make-up everyday, I don't own a cell phone, I laugh a lot, and I love to go on little adventures). The comments that followed gave me a lot to think about. One of my readers was really shocked by my list--she pictured me as a natural "earth mother" type, quiet and sober--definitely not an adventurous spirit. She wondered where she got her impression of me.

Everything that I write here is honest. But, it is also incomplete. This blog does not present a full picture of my life. There is a lot I don't talk about. I don't share my children's accomplishments and struggles. I don't talk much about my husband and his work. It is important to me to protect my family's privacy. A few months ago I stopped allowing comments because I am easily influenced by what others think; I want to share whatever is on my mind without hesitation--that's keeping it as real as it gets.

Even so, just so there is no confusion about my earth-mother status, it might help you to know some things about me:

I live in a typical suburban neighborhood on a cul-du-sac that is situated in a bustling neighborhood. There is a supermarket and shopping plaza four blocks away, a church, and several office buildings. My husband and I married when I was twenty and he was twenty-four, we had our first child four years later. I graduated summa cum laude from one of the top fifty universities in the country. I eat Doritos sometimes, and I've been known to drive an hour and a half out of my way to get to a Dairy Queen. I love chocolate. I wear mascara and lipstick always. I almost died playing Just Dance 4 on Xbox last night. My girls had Barbies (lots of them). I like bookstores, yarn stores, and candy shops--otherwise I avoid shopping if at all possible. I converted to Roman Catholicism nine years ago. (I also raise chickens, garden organically, knit and crochet, love nature, write stories, and homeschool my kids.) If you met me in person you would think, "She's nothing special."

And you would be right.  : )