Anonymity

For the past few weeks I have been struggling with myself over blogging.  Something inside me suddenly didn't feel like sharing so much with the world.  I had so many what if questions rolling in my head that I didn't know what to do anymore.  What if using my real name online invited identity theft my way?  What if my son resents me when he grows up for blogging about him using his real name?  What if I say something online that my work doesn't like and they fire me?

I decided that there are enough what if questions to prompt making some changes if I really plan to continue writing online and feeling comfortable sharing stories about my family.  So to start I changed my Twitter name to remove any connection to my real last name, and I have removed my last name from my profile on this blog.  There will likely be some more changes down the line, but I am feeling a lot more comfortable knowing that my family will be a little safer with the changes I am making.  Those who know me will still know the real me but strangers will need to earn that knowledge.

I feel badly that the changes I am making will confusing some people and make things a little difficult for a while.  Hopefully, everyone will understand why I need to make this change and will enjoy more posts from the slightly more anonymous Melinda.

Also, since several people have asked me about my new Twitter name (@Sew_Lin) I thought I would tell you a little bit about why I picked that name.  Growing up my name was shortened to Lin or Lindy often by my family, especially by my mom.  I have always really liked being called Lin and I am a little sad that my nickname never seemed to catch on with my friends or even my husband.  The "sew" part came from my recent realization that I love sewing, and creating things with my sewing machine.  I started using "Sew Lin" when I created my Tumblr account, which I named That's Sew Lin.  It is sort of a play on the phrase "that's so Melinda," as in it is very much my style.  On Tumblr I post things that catch my eye online so I thought it fit really well and was just cheesy enough to be funny.  I would have used ThatsSoLin as my Twitter name but it just seemed too long and even more confusing. 

Thank you for sticking around and as a reward, starting next week, I am going to make it a point to blog at least a few times a week again.  <3