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Being Real
Feb. 8th, 2012 10:05 amThis is going to be kind of a ramble based on some different things that have been happening in different places. So how this is written down is how it is coming to my brain.
Those who know me well can tell you that how I present myself on the Internet is pretty much how I am in real life. There are people out there who I “met” on the Internet and eventually met in real life and the consistent comment is you are just like you are on the Internet. The way I present myself on the Internet is pretty much me. I don’t say anything here that I wouldn’t say in public or to someone’s face. I don’t hide behind my handle or create another reality of what my life is.
I am of the mind that what I say reflects me as a person and why would I put something out there that I don’t believe and won’t back up. If someone is checking out my web log to see if I am a good prospect for a job, they will find that I am in print like I am in person. Although I am getting a little tired of my resume being used for the purpose of proving that they can hire from within. I am a good worker and would be an asset to whatever company would hire me. Just putting that out there.
If I say I have met someone, then I have met them. If I say I know someone then we know each other well enough to be waving acquaintances at the convention and we know each other’s name without too much searching of memories. I have friends, I have close friends, and I have extended family. Friends are people that I would be happy to break bread with and spend some time with.
Close friends are those people I have known for a while and I trust them enough to not have to be so guarded when I talk to them. They have the same problems and situations that I have to deal with. They are comfortable venting to me because they know that is as far as it will go and I will keep their confidence. I apparently have that kind of face that allows people to trust me because I have heard a lot in my time from many different people. But those things are private and remain so.
Then there is my extended family. These are the people that I consider family even though they may not be related to me by blood. A good example for this are the Ellisons. The girls call Harlan Uncle Harlan. They care about our family and we care about them. Another example are my friends Jeff & Angelo or as some know them Jeffangelo. I have known them for quite a while now. We met at a Science Fiction convention when I helped them by having a bottle of spirit gum in my kit. We have gone stretches of time not seeing each other but when we get together it is like we just saw each other the other day. We just pick up where we left off. Mary Aileen and I have known each other for over 40 years. That’s a long time to keep a friendship going but we are still friends. She joins us for parties and conventions. We get together on occasion and LunaCon is the convention that we go to to spend some time as friends. Caroline thinks of her as an Aunt really. Caroline knows that Mary Aileen is not related to her by blood but by choice.
My parents raised me to be an honest person. If you ask me my opinion on something make sure you really want it because I will give you my honest opinion. I don’t really sugar coat it. Some of the authors I have worked with have found that refreshing and other have not liked it as much but they respect my opinion. When I was stage managing in Atlanta I found out from an actor that my reputation was “firm but fair”. Which I was perfectly fine with. If that’s what they put on my tombstone, then I think I did something right.
So what you see here is what you get if you meet me in person. Although I have heard that my voice is lower than they thought it was going to be. Also apparently I am taller in person (5 10 ½). That’s fine. I am who I am and that’s what I am. Take me or leave me. What you see is what you get.
I am grateful for my friends and family.
Those who know me well can tell you that how I present myself on the Internet is pretty much how I am in real life. There are people out there who I “met” on the Internet and eventually met in real life and the consistent comment is you are just like you are on the Internet. The way I present myself on the Internet is pretty much me. I don’t say anything here that I wouldn’t say in public or to someone’s face. I don’t hide behind my handle or create another reality of what my life is.
I am of the mind that what I say reflects me as a person and why would I put something out there that I don’t believe and won’t back up. If someone is checking out my web log to see if I am a good prospect for a job, they will find that I am in print like I am in person. Although I am getting a little tired of my resume being used for the purpose of proving that they can hire from within. I am a good worker and would be an asset to whatever company would hire me. Just putting that out there.
If I say I have met someone, then I have met them. If I say I know someone then we know each other well enough to be waving acquaintances at the convention and we know each other’s name without too much searching of memories. I have friends, I have close friends, and I have extended family. Friends are people that I would be happy to break bread with and spend some time with.
Close friends are those people I have known for a while and I trust them enough to not have to be so guarded when I talk to them. They have the same problems and situations that I have to deal with. They are comfortable venting to me because they know that is as far as it will go and I will keep their confidence. I apparently have that kind of face that allows people to trust me because I have heard a lot in my time from many different people. But those things are private and remain so.
Then there is my extended family. These are the people that I consider family even though they may not be related to me by blood. A good example for this are the Ellisons. The girls call Harlan Uncle Harlan. They care about our family and we care about them. Another example are my friends Jeff & Angelo or as some know them Jeffangelo. I have known them for quite a while now. We met at a Science Fiction convention when I helped them by having a bottle of spirit gum in my kit. We have gone stretches of time not seeing each other but when we get together it is like we just saw each other the other day. We just pick up where we left off. Mary Aileen and I have known each other for over 40 years. That’s a long time to keep a friendship going but we are still friends. She joins us for parties and conventions. We get together on occasion and LunaCon is the convention that we go to to spend some time as friends. Caroline thinks of her as an Aunt really. Caroline knows that Mary Aileen is not related to her by blood but by choice.
My parents raised me to be an honest person. If you ask me my opinion on something make sure you really want it because I will give you my honest opinion. I don’t really sugar coat it. Some of the authors I have worked with have found that refreshing and other have not liked it as much but they respect my opinion. When I was stage managing in Atlanta I found out from an actor that my reputation was “firm but fair”. Which I was perfectly fine with. If that’s what they put on my tombstone, then I think I did something right.
So what you see here is what you get if you meet me in person. Although I have heard that my voice is lower than they thought it was going to be. Also apparently I am taller in person (5 10 ½). That’s fine. I am who I am and that’s what I am. Take me or leave me. What you see is what you get.
I am grateful for my friends and family.
