Identity

I think it's time for a little bit of a confession. There is literally no way to tell by this blog who I am. At all. Sure, you could put together all the dates, the approximate time periods, the possible recognition of certain events or weather patterns and guess. But I have not given a single clear indication of who I am. No clues as to gender, age, or location. None. My gender can probably be guessed from reading even a single paragraph of any of my posts, I rather think my style carries it as well as a blatant admission would, although I have not once referred to myself or my ex as male or female. As far as age goes, some would probably guess pretty damn close to the truth, and I assume a certain range is clear enough, but nothing to pin it down to more than plus or minus two or three years. And location...well, weather could give it away, but that's about all there is to it.

So now comes the question of why. Location hasn't really been relevant. That one I can dismiss immediately from consideration. My age...because there is no need for me to specify. I've always been one to believe that it is experience that determines wisdom and worldly skills, rather than age. There I think it may be best to leave it ambiguous not for fear of identity theft or whatnot else of the like but merely because in my opinion, it is not relevant. It may give valid context to my life, but it does not define it--so I do without.

Now gender...there it gets interesting. Certainly, my gender has played a major role in many of my posts, from those dealing with society to those relating to my own relationships. But why not reveal it, especially if it is already practically bursting from the words? Initially, my friend (yes, the same one who helped come up with titles for posts, etc. etc. etc.) suggested keeping it ambiguous. That was before I started writing about my ex and other situations where specifying gender would have simplified word choice and sentence structure infinitely. At that point, I myself made the conscious decision to omit such indicators. None of what I have written has been, in my opinion, severely hindered by this omission, and it has made certain posts a bit more challenging for me. And I like challenge.

Now the question arises of whether I'm ever going to change any of this ambiguity in my writing or not. I rather think not right now. I'm most flexible on the question of indicating gender, partially because it is practically obvious and partially because it would just simplify some things. But at the same time, I see no specific need for it and so will continue as I have. If for some reason it changes, then it changes. I'm not going to beat myself up for such trivial details, especially if the change helps the flow of what I write. Having said that much, I wonder just how much my writing will change as different events occur in my life and circumstances change.

One final thing I believe I should note, as it is relevant here: the issue of truth and honesty in my posts. I try to be open in my writing, but there are some thoughts which I do not record. I know that certain people read this blog and I know that certain thoughts would be too blatantly obvious and perhaps unkind to them. So for that reason, I refrain from posting everything. Perhaps as it is, too many references have been made in such directions, or to common acquaintances that may not be fond of what I have said. To all whom I may have hurt or offended, I apologize. The same holds for those who have discovered more of my thoughts than they wish to have known.