I am a 32-year-old fossil!
Despite my lifelong interest in Murder She Wrote, Inspector Gadget and Get Smart and as exciting as it would be… I’m NOT a spy, I don’t work for Customs, I don’t have access to intelligence that could threaten Australia’s security if revealed, and my Cluedo skills are disappointing. So why online anonymity and privacy?
I have always had a “thing” about giving people too much information. Like revealing information about myself somehow limits my freedom. (Yes, crazy)
I reached a milestone today… I realised that you’re meant to register and show your face on Facebook so that others can find you! This “ah ha experience” took a lot of work. In a society where anonymity is a foreign concept and freedom of information is a given… I felt like a fossil trapped in a 32 year old’s body, mostly brought on by the challenge put forward in my ‘Blogging for Beginners’ course to get out there and promote our opinions, ideas and writing.
I created a Facebook account last year (feeling very modern and up-to-date), only to realise that the very concept freaked me out. So to fix this, today I decided to upload a photo of myself, not my best angle… my face is a little chubby and I look so rugged up that snowdrifts would suit the background… the waterfall is worth looking at though.
From the simple action of uploading a photo there was no stopping me. So I did the unbelievable… I told the world (well the 22 friends I have given permission via my incredibly high privacy settings) that I like to bushwalk, I got engaged last year, my favourite TV show is NCIS and that my hero of all time is Jim Henson. Gasp!
Did my world fall in? No! Did a flood of undesirable people come hounding me for my personal details? No! Did I receive advertisements targeted at my updated profile? Yes! Like I needed any more Wedding Advertisements in my life.
I DID however get back in touch with a number of Primary School friends, a few I haven’t seen or spoken to for over 20 years. I also learnt how to connect to groups and even decided to go the whole hog and sign up for Twitter.
Today, Facebook… tomorrow, ASIO Agent #378!
Ahh... Serenity 
I know I am a fossil but Athena is coming out of hiding too. Your latest blog and indeed your whole site is inspiring me. Athena has much to learn from young women like you (see my new side column about her).
This current post is exciting, stimulating and funny.
Not actually serene but what is serenity anyway, it’s not just lying down and dreaming, it’s taking one’s dreams and springing into action just like you are doing.
I think Athena has to go on Facebook and maybe twitter too. I’ve long been in hiding and so has she so now it’s time to fly!
You go girl! And I like your take on serenity… “it’s taking one’s dreams and springing into action.” Thanks!