One of the things I’ve been struggling with a bit lately is how much to reveal about myself.   I think what’s gotten me thinking about this,  other than the fact that I’ve started this blog,  is the impending end of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.  I know it sounds like an odd thing to inspire a discussion of what you discuss and what you keep private but,  for me,  Craig Ferguson is a model of what to do in this area.   For those who don’t know,  Mr. Ferguson has hosted the Late Late Show on CBS for the past 10 years.    He is funny and smart and very entertaining and far and away my favorite late night talk show host.     He has little patience for bullshit or anything or anyone that seems fake,  and he’s unflinchingly honest about his past, his mistakes, and what he’s learned.   Craig seems at home in his skin.   He makes no apologies for who he is and what he does,  but acknowledges that he’s made mistakes in the past and admits he’s apologized where it was appropriate.    He’ll tell you almost anything,  with the exception of his family,  which he mentions rarely,  nothing much seems off limits.   The result is an interesting show hosted by an interesting man,  who is constantly surprising and intimately human.

Now,  mind you,  I don’t expect to be hosting a talk show anytime soon,  nor do I expect to be famous,  but I am aware that anyone who does the sort of stuff I do, writing, speaking,  and so on,  will get noticed by at least some people if they’re any good at what they do.   I’ve already experienced some attention,  and I wouldn’t be doing this if I wasn’t hoping there would be more.   Much as I love writing,  I’m not typing these words simply for the joy of doing it.   I want others to read what I write,  to absorb the ideas within and hopefully to start a discussion and share their opinions.  As I said in my first post,  I want to be a good host,  which means I want to be honest and I want to be liked.   And that’s what brings me back to my original question – how much do I reveal?

Now before you start forming crazy ideas about what I might be hiding,  I was never a hit woman for the mob.   I don’t dress in latex and spike heeled boots and run a sex dungeon in my basement.  I’ve never shoplifted so much as a stick of gum.  Most of the things that give me pause when I think about writing about them or talking about them are more in the nature of personal stuff,  things that if they were discussed might offend people or make them uncomfortable.   Things that could have an impact on whether or not someone would decide to hire me to write an article or to advise them on their social media campaign.

Part of me says,  who cares,  I am who I am,  and nothing I have to reveal or discuss really reflects badly on me.   I realize I’ve made mistakes in my life, but who hasn’t?  I also realize that some things I’m a bit reluctant to discuss,  like the fact that I deal with depression quite regularly,  aren’t things I should be ashamed of or fearful of admitting.    It also should be said that anyone who would be hesitant to hire me because of anything I’ve shared in this blog probably isn’t someone I want to work for anyway.  And yet….

I’ve always said I’d much prefer genuine hatred to fake chumminess any day,  and I’ve always meant it.   I guess maybe,  in the end,  that’s the principle I should use as my guide.   Some things will be off limits,  either because they involve others,  or because I’m not ready or able to discuss them.   Everything else is fair game.   I think,  in the end,  this will give a much truer image of who I am,  both professionally and personally.   People who own their own businesses,  really anyone who is on social media or blogging these days,  don’t really have the luxury of private and personal anymore.  For better or worse,  we’re all out there for everyone to see.

I intend to make sure what you see of me is real and true.

The rest will just have to take care of itself.