You Don't Know Me

I am, by nature, a private person, not given to outrageous acts of self-revelation. I’m not a joiner, not someone comfortable with getting up and promoting myself. It’s probably partly the legacy of being an only child who lived inside his own head for much of the day. It’s also probably a result of the ol’ genetic crap shoot. My father is a man of few words, a close-mouthed Yankee if there ever was one.

I’ve come to realize that this tendency toward the antisocial doesn’t always serve me well. It can make me appear aloof, when, really, I just don’t have a pressing need to shoot my mouth off. I’m not good at waving my hands and saying, “Look at me! Look at me!” So it’s sometimes hard to get people to look in my direction at all.

This blog is a small exercise in revealing more about myself in a way that’s useful to me and to others. I’m making more of an effort to contact and thank the people whose work I especially enjoy online. I’m posting more messages on various boards. I’m exploring some of the social networking sites.

It’s a gradual process. Don’t expect any immediate gut-spilling. But there is somebody underneath those bandages.