TMI?
by Ruth Ann Harnisch on 07/22/10 at 6:57 am
Day 201
An intimate friend described what I write here as “revealing your underbelly.”
Yikes. Is that what I’m doing?
A person of my acquaintance put so many details of her private life online that I had to turn away from the trainwreck. She overshared to the point of revulsion. Apparently unaware that she was revealing her lack of integrity, character defects, and psychological problems, she thought she was being “honest.” The revelations are forever in the public domain now. That underbelly is UGLY.
When I was a radio talk-show host, I had hours to fill every day, sometimes alone. If no guests were scheduled and the phones were silent, it was just me, blahblahblahblahing.
One day, police arrested a man who had been doing something he shouldn’t have been doing in the parking lot across the street from the radio station. They found in his possession a notebook in which he had recorded thousands of personal details about me, gleaned from years of listening to my radio show. One fact here, one fact there, and he had assembled a dossier on my private life that was close to a definitive biography.
I am reminded of this now. Does my underbelly look fat?
3 Comments
Soni
Jul 22nd, 2010
Actually, I think your underbelly looks much like everyone else’s (including my cat’s) – soft, vulnerable, and desirous of a friendly rub. But also like my cay, I’m sure you’re most strongly capable of protecting that underbelly should the need arise from the same position that you exposed it.
Sali Taylor
Jul 22nd, 2010
Not fat at all. Your stories are provocative and your humorous perspective often provides a good belly laugh, as I recognize and accept my own vulnerabilities.
Unlike your ‘oversharing’ aquaintance, to me it seems you are selectively culling the day’s catch, only sharing the pearls and a bit of grit gleaned from sorting, shucking and cleaning. Much appreciated.
Gail Blesch
Jul 22nd, 2010
I agree completely with Soni and Sali, – ‘pearls and a bit of grit’ – nice.
You do raise a great point we are all well advised to look it. I’ve always thought of the internet as the equivalent of being blasted about on the evening news, front page of the Times, your stuff personally called in to everyone you’ve ever known or will ever meet – so be careful. It is a fine line we must all learn to walk as technology takes and transports us in ways and with ramifications we haven’t begun to imagine.
It begs the questions, For our messages to be heard, do we really need to be known? Probably not. But to be really known, do we need to be heard? I think so, and that’s where we might get into trouble.
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