Hey, look at me.  I'm starting a blog.  For what... the 4th time?  I'm committed this time.  It's one of my resolutions for the coming year.

I do not think I'm very important.  Nothing I have to say is more important or interesting than what you have to say.  I just happen to enjoy writing, and I don't see the point in writing if it goes unread.  I'm putting my business out there.  Anna "TMI" McKie at your service.

Reservations about blogging:

1. Current and present employers.  The internet is a sea of reasons not to hire me, or better yet perceived reasons not to hire me.  I want very much to be a badass and proclaim that any potential employer who reads my blog and decides I'm an unfit pick is an employer I care not to work for.  This is obviously a load of shit since even in a good economy I don't want to rattle the cage and risk much needed income.  Now is when I proclaim that we are servants to cultural censorship and we should be free to express ourselves in a public forum.  This is also bullshit.  It's not about my right to do anything, it's knowing from experience and common fucking sense that people have opinions, many which differ from mine, including but not limited to the following:

*I swear too much.

*I fail to present myself as a lady, which is not meant to sound tongue and cheek.  I often prefer to be treated as a lady, but don't expect as much when I fail to act like one.  Treating me like a lady is the accepted default.  Once I open my mouth I know all bets are off.

*It's unsightly to share one's dirty laundry.  This falls under the you-don't-have-to-read-what-I-write tab.  I don't say this to be rude or to give myself permission to verbally vomit all over the internet, but I think it's important that we individually decide our level of comfort with what and how much we share about ourselves.  I find more often than not the more I share the easier it is for me to connect with others.  I've also found that people who share personal stories with me are granting me the opportunity to step outside myself and assess my own experiences.  When I share my personal stories and life events I'm comforted to discover that I'm not the only one who feels what I feel or has experienced what I experienced.  It helps me feel less alone and it makes me feel good.

My family tends to not overshare.  We overshare with each other, but not publicly.  I have exceedingly liberal parents and they support my endeavors, but I'm acutely aware of the fact that I occasionally publicly share what they consider to be private.  This will always make me feel subconscious and a little defensive, but it's important to me to find the right balance that allows me to openly share while not driving my parents to an early grave.  My plan is to speak with as much class as possible through a forest of F bombs.

2012 was a unique year.  The unexpected life changes 2012 had in store were abrupt, disorienting, and surreal to say the least.  I believe it's a story worth telling.  I'm sure many would disagree, and that's okay.  Some would consider it an overshare, and that's okay, too.  I respectfully invite you to not read my blog, because I have a lot to say and you might not like it.  It may cause you to gossip or say unflattering things about me.  You may think I'm a liar or that I'm spinning my stories in order to present myself in a more flattering light.  I'll tell you, one of my most striking discoveries in the past year is how liberating it is to own my mistakes and my faults.  I'm not perfect and never claimed to be.  I do the best I can from day to day, and I can say with little hesitation that I am a good person and I have enough empathy to fill a sinkhole.  I've struggled with guilt and personal labels.  I can assure you that nothing I write is a lie.  My writing is biased because it's me writing about my experiences as I experienced them, but I am not a liar.  The facts are intense enough without my embellishment.  My goal is not to demonize anyone.  I just want to tell my story.  

I don't believe in changing names.  I have no intention of changing anyone's name.  That doesn't mean I'll use surnames and social security numbers, but I'm not interested in preserving anyone's reputation.  Most of you know who I'm talking about anyway.

Please feel free to leave me comments and begin discussions with me or each other.  I promise to avoid being combative and I hope you in return will respect me and my position.

I've told many people over the past year that I was going to write this blog in an effort to hold myself accountable for following through.  I'm committed to keeping this promise to myself.