The Dangers of Blogging

So, as I am wont to do, I was reading CNN.com today and came across an article titled: Bloggers Learn The Price of Telling Too Much. The article is interesting and doesn't really mention anything I hadn't thought of before. It warns not to say anything scandalous about work or about your wild personal life. I have always thought about this when blogging, but not too many scandalous things happen at work and I have a pretty hum-drum personal life when it comes to scandal. So, regardless, I am probably safe from the kind of damage some blogs are doing to college students or disgruntled employees. However, I do wonder if there is anything on my blog that would make somebody not want to hire me, or that a person could find offensive and/or scandalous.

Of course, I am thinking in terms of employment because I'm currently searching for a job. I do tend to express my political views on here on occasion, especially during campaign season, but I suppose if an employer doesn't want to hire me because of my politics, I wouldn't want to work there anyways. I have a blog so that I can a keep in touch with friends, b)have a place where I have to keep writing and can express myself and c)have a place to post videos (even though I haven't done so in a while.) So I think it would be slightly tragic to start censoring myself just because I don't want to really expose any of myself on the internet. It's a delicate line to walk. If I have a really bad day at work, can I blog about it? If I'm in a fight with a friend or parent, is it inappropriate to mention it here? What if I go out drinking with girlfriends once or twice a year -- is retelling the tale of our night out something that will later come back and haunt me? I like to think I did all of those come-back-and-haunt-you things a long time ago, so long ago that I will not be haunted. But who knows what I will regret in five or 10 years from now?

If any of you can think of a particularly scandal-ridden or humiliating post that's on this blog somewhere, please do let me know so I can clean up my act.

Speaking of...

ten years. I am responsible for planning my 10 year high school reunion next summer. Have I mentioned this here before? My friend Julia and I volunteered upon our graduation to be the class alumni liaisons and are charged with reunion planning. Of course, when I said I would be the alumni liaison, I imagined that in 10 years, I would be a completely different person, totally grown up, rich and successful and planning a reunion would be no big thing. I am successful, but I'm still not really that grown up and I'm not rich by any stretch of the imagination, yet here I am with a 10-year reunion in my lap. What complicates matters is that we're moving in October and I will be (cross your fingers) starting a new job in a new city and be presumably very busy for the foreseeable future, so I probably need to get this whole event planned before I leave the state. Does anyone know anything about planning a 10-year reunion for a class of 33 (or was it 35) people? I am completely at a loss. Also, how on earth did I get this old?

Hunting

I honestly believe that there are few tasks worse than searching for employment. Each new job application is like getting ready for a blind date (not that I've ever had one... but I imagine that's what it's like.) You get yourself (or your resume and cover letter) all dolled up, all the while knowing that it's highly likely you will either be rejected or that you will be completely unattracted to the guy (job). You even learn as much about the guy (job) as possible so that you can tailor your outfit (cover letter) and makeup (resume) to suit what you imagine he likes. You hear about his background (read the job description) and try to squeeze yourself into a version of you that will be appealing to him (the resume screener). "It says here he is a deep sea diver... and I have been snorkeling a couple of times."

Oh my goodness it is exhausting. But the application process continues. I actually have found several jobs that I would really like to have, which is a great sign. Tonight, it's time to write a few more cover letters.