Being responsible for my words
Yesterday Kiki attended Anime Banzai with Howard. It is a kid friendly convention. Kiki found many things to delight her and many kindred spirits to talk to. At some point during the convention Kiki and Howard ran into a person who reads this blog. He asked her how she liked having her mom blog about her. Kiki’s response was “She does?” I’m surprised at this response because I’ve never attempted to keep my blogging habit a secret from the kids. In fact several times I’ve specifically asked Kiki’s permission before posting something of hers. I asked Kiki later about her answer and she said that while she knew I blogged, she’d never considered that other people might be reading it. I assured her that I’m careful about what I post. And I also told her how to look up my blog and read it whenever she wants. I also told her that if she ever wants something about her removed from my blog, she has only to let me know and I’ll pull it down. In another few years (like maybe when she’s 16) we’ll probably get her a livejournal account of her own and then she can comment and tell her side of these stories.
Then in church today we had a lesson on being careful how we speak to and of each other. There was also a section on being careful how we think and speak about ourselves. The major point of the lesson is that words have great power to heal and do damage. Sticking the words “just kidding” at the end of a sentence doesn’t unsay the criticisms that came before. Sentences that begin “I shouldn’t tell you this but” need to remain unspoken. We all have a responsibility to be as careful with our words as we are with our vehicles because accidents are common.
I think the need for caution is particularly important in my blogging because the words remain. My father taught me that lesson after he read one of my blog entries. He pointed out that the only entry I made about a particular event was me griping about inconveniences which made the creators of that event feel like the event had been a failure. The event was a wonderful one, but I hadn’t told those parts. If I left the entry to stand as it was, then that was all anyone would know. It would become history. I edited the entry to give a much more balanced report.
I love blogging. I love being able to share my thoughts and my life. I love having people respond. I particularly like the times when people say that my words have somehow helped them. I feel like this blog is a good thing, but the potential for damage is huge, and so I must be very careful. I must never say anything about anyone in writing that I would not say if they were standing in the room with me. Because these words stay here and that person may wander through later.