Today I’m going to talk about sharing my life online at the annual Hawaii Books & Music Festival on the civic grounds in downtown.
I’m on a panel called “Lives Online: Truth and Truthiness.” An interesting title consider what I do for a living — write — and how that may not be perceived as truth.
(The panel starts at 11 a.m., in case you’re around.)
I thought about what I’m going to say for a couple of days now. It forced me to think about whether what I post about myself is really the truth or a construction of the truth from my perspective.
Or maybe it’s a bit of both.
I don’t often blog about myself — meaning, my personal life — and I don’t even share my opinions or feelings as much as most bloggers. And I’ve been criticized for that, with people (often my editors) saying I need to take a stand more often and get people riled up. That leads to more hits — and more hate. But hits are what matter.
But not to me.
I just want people to read something and feel changed in some way. Maybe they want to try a new restaurant or a new recipe or book a flight to Costa Rica. Or maybe they remember something — a favorite dish as a child or a special teacher. Whatever it is, I want people to reflect on their own lives, not mine.
I have two more hours to think about what I’m going to say. And I guarantee it won’t all be about me. 🙂
8 Comments
Thanks for the plug, Cat! See you in a few minutes…. Looking forward to your talk.
Interesting thoughts… but I think you share more that you realize. I wouls say you are more guarded than most.
Your inquisitiveness & positiveness shows through in your posts. If that’s not an opinion, I don’t know what is. There are too many negative type blogs/tweets/FB posts, etc out there that spoil new discoveries. Keep up what you’re doing!
Hello Cat!
I like it just the way it is. 🙂
Good Morning,
your blog is fine, because IMHO you do the following:
1. refrain from being a drama queen
2. jus’ being slightly narcissitic–shows confidence
3. rotate between the introspective probing questions to the yumminess of life
4. keeping it real & seeing the humor where we need it
5. strong opinions do invoke strong reactions, but you try not to jump on a soap box, which
I take as part of your journalism background
Hey Cat: … I agree with the others … you blog about yourself more than you know … though not explicitly … a lot is revealed about yourself in your writing …
… from your jobs, to the places you visit, to the restaurants you like, to the stories you choose to blog about … we really do get a glimpse, albeit maybe snapshots, into who you are …
… and the abundance of pictures you post … you know the old saying is true … a picture is worth a thousand words … even if you never wrote a single word … your pictures paint a really good story about yourself …
Yours is one of only two blogs that I read regularly, and you get riled up by horror and tragedy inflicted on people by people. It doesn’t have to be every day, and we have to leave some time for enjoying life. respect that, and it’s why I read your blog. That, and you are the finest photographer or food that the world has every known!
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