Rise and Whine

Apparently, Jessica – the lovely hostess of Daughter of Opinion – has decided that we sharp-tongued observers of life should post pictures of ourselves when we first get up in the morning. I can only assume that it’s so those that we annoy can make themselves feel better by making fun of those little imperfections that we hide through some sort of personal hygiene practices. (My second assumption is that Jessica has a team of early-rising hair and makeup artists that gently swoop in on her about twenty minutes before she awakens.)

I really did not want to do this.

Here’s the thing: I am so much cooler on the Internet. I am unconstrained by societal niceties or having to deal with people face to face. It’s so easy to present only that which you want others to see; to control access to your personality (Ha! Almost used the plural, there.). Those few people that know me personally and read my blog probably just shake their heads and chuckle at my exaggerations, half-truths, and outright lies.

This, of course, was Jessica’s point. We should be more open towards the world. Rather than hide behind these carefully constructed personas, we should not be afraid to show our dedicated readers who we really are.

I really did not want to do this.

I am paid to evoke feelings, perceptions, and behaviors in people through my words. No, I’m not a phone-sex operator. It’s worse – I’m in Marketing. Having a long-term love affair with the use of Language, I also belong to a few writing sites, craft limericks, and pun obsessively. I can be pedantic over grammar to the point of obnoxiousness. This is the same reason I blog. I love playing with styles, syntax, dialects, and structure. If I want you to feel a certain way towards me, I’ll craft something that points you in that direction. I don’t want you jumping ahead of me or going off on your own way based on any conclusions you’ve drawn by seeing my picture.

Did I mention that I really did not want to do this?

Thing is, I know that I’m going to. I’ve made the decision already; I just have to agonize over it for a bit. And whine. And pout. Not attractive traits, I know, but there you are. I’m self-absorbed enough to keep a written record of my every wisp of a thought, but I’m enough of an exhibitionist to put it online.

Enough stalling. Time to take my place in the lineup. You’ll notice right away that I am not a morning person. I greet the world with a face that says “I’d hurt you very badly, but that means my coffee would be late.” You’ve been warned.

Oh, and before I forget: Thanks, Jessica. Groovy idea.


Morning Cat: