From the Salmon

When I first started this here site, I wasn’t sure how long I’d keep it up. I’ve started more two-page journals than I can count, so I never thought I’d have the discipline to write and write regularly. So I didn’t tell anyone about it. And I wrote under a pseudonym. It’s more of a pseudopseudonym, really, as anyone who actually knows me probably would be able to figure it out within a few minutes.

As I’ve (very slowly) been telling people I know about the site, I usually end up spending a lot of time talking about two things: first, why I’ve continued to write under a pseudonym and, second, why I haven’t told them about the site earlier.

The primary reason that I’ve continued to use the pseudonym is to keep the site dissociated from my real name in the harsh light of Google. I don’t have specific reason to think that I’ll regret having this site, but I guess I’m erring a bit on the side of caution. I’d hate to sit down to a job interview sometime in the distant future and have to spend most of the time explaining why I wrote this, that, or the other. Also, for other personal reasons, I didn’t want my writing to affect my wife’s work or my parents’ work. On the whole, I still think that’s the right choice for me at this time. I’ll admit that it’s a little strange, but it’s how I’ve chosen to give myself the comfort zone I need to write more honestly.

At the same time, though, I recognize that anonymity, while comfortable, can also be abused. If I don’t have to take responsibility for what I say, I could end up saying all sorts of crazy and hurtful things. But that’s not what I want. To keep me accountable for what I write, I’ve told my wife, my parents and sister, a few of my oldest and closest friends, and my current pastors. I also have very consciously decided not to write anonymously either about my work or about my church. While both are important parts of my life, I don’t think that would be fair to either.

So if you read this site and know me, I ask that you respect my choice to use a pseudonym and not use my real name when commenting or linking to anything that I’ve written. Thanks.

The second question is a bit more challenging. Why haven’t I told you about the site? Or if I have, why didn’t I do so sooner?

I know this explanation never satisfies anybody, but truly, it’s not you. It’s me. I’m a fairly private person, and this is sort of a strange, self-promotional thing for me to be doing. And it’s not the kind of thing I’ve felt comfortable just bringing up in casual conversation.

So let me apologize for being freakishly introverted.

Now that you’re here, I hope you’ll be able to forgive me and that you’ll enjoy the site, if it ends up being the kind of thing that you’d enjoy.