I know other bloggers went the way of Anonymity.......the question has been posed, maybe I should as well. I don't know what that means, I don't know what it entails. Do I just start changing every ones name? Can my name now be Emily? Do I never post another picture of my children again? Do i never wrote a negative comment again?....I don't know.
The Neurotypical Mom is a part of me.....it my other baby. It wasn't suppose to get big, I though it would stay small like my business site, be a place of 10 hits a day, the end. Little did I know there were so many like me. Once things started to grow, I let those close to me into this world as a way for them to better understand what was going on and to see Frankies progress.
I don't think I have ever written anything so extremely outrageous that I could be seem as a bad mother, wife or person, I have never disclosed surnames on this blog nor anything entirely too personal, but i am now questioning people even knowing my name and region........
I don't regret a word I have written, I have received so many comments and emails from people telling me how I have helped them and said things they think bu have been scared to say, for being honest, for being a ear to listen, for making other moms not feel alone......because yes, it is so lonely. You don't know the pains and the joys of this life until you are in the thick of it.
My main goal here whether I am The Neurotypical mom or Emily (lol), is to let you know you are not alone on this spectrum. If you need an ear to listen, I'm here. A shoulder to cry on, I'm here. A person to joke with, I'm here.
So should I become anonymous?
I didn't go completely anonymous. I don't use the boys names because they are old enough to ask me not to. I do use their pictures and little do they know...there are teachers and administrators from our school district who read the blog. My life is an open book and if you're in my life...so is yours! (Sorry Hubby I don't use his name either). I am a writer. I write my truth. An artist can not create worrying about what the world will think of their art. I write for the same reasons as you...so that people will know the truth of this autism journey. This blogging, Facebook and Twitter autism community has been the biggest blessing in our lives. Don't know what I would do without it!
ReplyDeleteNo! No! and No! I certainly wouldn't go giving out my address and those kinds of details. However to be relateable it is going to require sharing information that is personal to some extent. Not everyone is comfortable doing that. And this is what separates the writers of blogs from the readers of blogs. Not everyone is willing to put themselves out there to be judged. If we all wrote a blog there would be nothing unique or special about what we were doing. There will always be those who criticize, whether their criticism is well intended or not, we take the good with the bad and chalk it up to another day in the trenches. Thanks for being one of the brave and allowing us to feel less alone, and that on some level our life is normal in our own special group of peers.
ReplyDeleteEveryone has to make decision for own reasons. I am anonymous for a couple of reasons 1) my son is older & he definitely agreed should be completely anonymous so it would not be like Meet The Fockers (the mom was a sex therapist and would talk about him all the time!) 2) Did not want to be found by certain people - work, I have had a stalker in past (almost didn't start blog because of that).
ReplyDeleteBut other than that I am very open about what is said. However I also don't say anything that would matter if we were ever found out- IE I am not going to start bashing co-workers because I think I am anonymous. Some co-workers and family do know I blog and my info & I am okay with that. Anyways I think it is a personal decision depending on your situation.
I go back and forth with this myself. But I feel like Karen(AspergerMom) - I'm a writer and I'm writing my truth to help other parents. Either way - it's up to you. :)
ReplyDeleteI went the anonymous route cuz it's what the wife wanted... Otherwise I'd be posting pics of "Kyle" every freaking day... :-)
ReplyDelete