I need a cover story
When Gina and I were in the city on Thursday, we stopped by my office* and my boss was in, so I introduced Gina to her. I really like my new (since February/March) boss, and wanted her to meet my best friend, and get to know some of the people in my life.
City view from our run on Thursday!
Which is kind of the opposite of how I’ve felt about mixing personal life with work life, until now, save for ONE coworker I talk to about personal stuff on a regular basis. I mostly keep it light. I’ve had the rudest reactions saying the most basic things about my life, and that’s taught me to keep my mouth shut and say as little as possible.**
And actually, it’s gotten better, but I still feel like I have my guard up, most of the time. So I was surprised when I found myself hoping my boss would be at her desk so Gina and I could say hi.
Then later in the day, I was thinking about it, and realized how lucky I was my boss didn’t ask how Gina and I met, because I don’t tell anyone at work about my blog (except that one coworker, and yes, because I don’t want to share personal information). Oops! What would I have said, if she asked?! I need a cover story. Or an altered version of the truth, heh. “We were both bloggers and we met online” would be mostly true. It would just imply I no longer blog. “We met through a mutual friend” would be true, because another blogger told me about Gina’s blog!
Or, maybe I could just tell the truth, and see how she reacts.
Nah. I still like keeping this little space for myself.
*I worked a few hours in the afternoon while Gina window shopped the Mag Mile
**This is actually a topic I’d love to devote an entire post to – feeling uncomfortable sharing information about yourself with people because of how they react. But… I just shouldn’t go there, because it’s not only at work.
Themocracy
Its interesting how we feel various levels of comfort on sharing things at work. I know some people at work who would be very judgemental, but others who are generally supportive, so in this job I haven’t been as concerned about “hiding my blogger identity.” I’ve also come to realize that how the other people react about something that has absolutely no impact to them is their own problem, and doesn’t really say anything about me. But talking about being active adn training a lot is a delicate subject when you work in an office with a lot of sedentary people!
Oh yeah, how people react to some things is TOTALLY about them. But I just don’t need to hear some of the awful comments I was. On such basic stuff. It was odd 😉
Ha ha ha. Yeah… I’ve have some weird reactions to talking about working out, too!
Again, nice picture. Looks like you were in Wisconsin looking at the Chicago skyline! 🙂 Regarding telling coworkers about my blog, there was an article about me in the Tribune a couple of years ago that mentioned I was a blogger (without naming my blog). My coworkers told me that they had read the article, but never asked me about my blog. So maybe people just don’t care enough about my outside-of-work life?!
Ha ha ha! Or maybe they were just being polite and giving you your space? 🙂
Yes, you could be right. If I found out a coworker had a blog, I would be interested in checking it out – although would I ask them directly for the URL or would I give them their space? That’s a scenario that I probably never will encounter…
I’d never tell any co-workers about my blog. I usually blog during the work day (on breaks, but still) so I’d worry that they think I’m not getting any work done. And in general, I’ve been pretty guarded with my new group – like you, I don’t really want to tell people anything all that personal.
And speaking of co-workers who don’t know I blog, T has no idea. That probably sounds bad, but in part, it’s because I had stopped writing for a while when he and I got together, so it didn’t occur to me to mention it. And there’s so much of my past life out there, I don’t really want him to read a lot of my old posts (but I don’t want to delete anything either). When he asked how you and I met, for example, I said through running, which isn’t untrue 🙂
Oh man! Don’t you think that will be an issue when he finds out and you kept it from him? I would be upset if my spouse had a blog I didn’t know about 🙁 Or do you think he won’t care? I understand you not wanting him to read past stuff or delete it. But maybe tell him and not tell him the address? Ha!
He probably wouldn’t care, and I’m not actively keeping it from him. I just don’t talk about it (with him or in general, really). And I’m deciding what I want to do about blogging long-term. I don’t do it very often anyway, so it may be more of a “I used to be a blogger” (like one of your “cover stories” above!).
Good – I am happy to hear he wouldn’t care 🙂
Are you feeling pretty meh about long term blogging? I’ve been thinking about how much blogging has changed for the past few years and sometimes it discourages me, but I like having my space to write so much that I keep going 🙂
Yeah… I like having my own space to write whatever I want, but do feel meh about it sometimes. Which is why I post so rarely anymore.
Almost all of my blog friends I met “through book club,” as far as the “real” people in my life are concerned. Haha. I like the “mutual friend” cover story, though! I don’t talk about my blog much (at all…) in real life, so it always feels weird to bring it up in real life unless ABSOLUTELY necessary…and how often is it ABSOLUTELY necessary to talk about blogging?
How was Northerly Island?? The photos make it look gorgeous, but I haven’t been there to explore yet.
Ha! Saying how you met people is almost the only time I need to talk about blogging, or, when I am with other bloggers (which isn’t that often)! 🙂
Northerly Island was nice! A beautiful run. There was construction for a concert, but we ran around it 🙂 I hope you get to go!
I think it is so neat you made such a close friend through blogging 🙂
I rarely tell anyone i have a blog. I tend to stay to myself at work, expect for one running friend. She ran her first marathon last year, she gets it 🙂
It is good you are liking your boss! We got a principal this year and luckily he has been great. I have been in the opposite situation in the past…
Well you know how I feel about sharing personal information ha, ha!! I’m with you all the way…probably why I have almost no friends lol.
Everyone at work found out about my blog when I was in Crain’s, I have it on my LinkedIn page and resume, and, honestly, I don’t really use it for personal stuff anymore so it’s not a big deal. I just wish it had meant that I got hired for my WordPress skills in addition to all my other skills 🙂 We could use a WordPress person around here!
I’m glad you like your new boss!
That picture is GORGEOUS!!
I’m waaaay too open with my life, but I still don’t want coworkers reading my blog. My boss (who I consider a personal friend outside of work) knows I have one, but I’ve never offered up the link [and mine is not find-able via googling if you know my name, which i regularly check!]. I have had coworkers or other people I don’t want reading my blog ask about it, and I usually just laugh and say “I can’t have people I work with reading it!!” and change the subject. No one has pressed it more than that so far, happily.
Thanks!
I check my name too, from time to time, to make sure you still can’t find it! Of course, if you knew my maiden name…
I am happy they don’t press you about it!!!!
It’s so funny because my blog is public but it’s also really private. And I’m not sure why since I really don’t share THAT much that is super personal.
The professional/public vs. private is funny bc as teachers and working at a school, I think that we always mix personal with work. And right now – that is especially true for me! In some ways, I have major boundaries because of the work/life balance, but right now, everything is blurred.
But, yeah, it’s interesting how much people do or don’t share about their life, either on-line or “in real life”.
I know quite a few teachers and they seem to be really protective of their online personas… for example, only their first and middle names on Facebook, etc. I wonder what other professions are like that. Your balance IS totally blurred now, though! Do any of the other professors there know about your blog?
I met my best friend through dailymile, and I feel slightly awkward about it, but now we just say we met online. Plus its been 4.5 years so most ppl know or don’t ask.
I think I just need to say online, too. It’s so normal, now! People meet their partners online… why not friends, too?!
You’re not alone in getting so many weird/rude/mean comments that you stop sharing stuff. I’m right there with you. I don’t talk about running or my blog. But the Caveman and my kids do.
So does that make it awkward for you, that they still bring it up? Or are people less likely to say weird stuff to them?
One of the weirdest comments I ever got was sharing something about my family. I was saying we took family photos per my mom’s request during a visit, even though we were taking them again in two weeks. The person responded with “At least you HAVE a mom.” Okay, then…
I’m definitely the same way about talking about my blog. I think it’s because I talk about personal things, so it feels a little weird that people I see every day would be reading my words. I don’t mention it at all in my real life, keep it as my own little thing. A few friends know about it, but when I talk about blog friends, I usually just mention “my friend who lives…” but rarely do people ask how we’ve met. I guess people aren’t as curious about our lives as we think they are, ha!
I am the same way about my blog. I like to keep that my own personal little space, even though I do feel quite close with my coworkers. Recently one coworker was looking at my digital picture frame and one of the pics had my blog tag on it…”Oh, you have a blog?” she asked…and I nearly froze. I’m not sure why…I don’t bash work or anything like that, lol. I think it’s just I’ve been burned too many times, so I like to keep my life separated.
The only other person who knows I have a blog is Martina ha ha so you aren’t alone in needing a cover story at times
I talk about my blog at work (since it’s so relevant to my work), and most of them don’t care (yes, even though it’s so relevant to our work). I think only one co-worker follows me enough on Twitter/Instagram that he’s ever read my blog. He’s a fellow runner (and triathlete) so he actually cares about this topic.
I do have a friend I need a cover story for but that’s a completely different story.