Anonymity

I try to keep my real-life identity and my Desert Girl persona separated for several reasons.  First and foremost, I live in Kuwait where there are no cyber laws and as such, no written laws about what you can and can not do.  I know sometimes I push the boundaries.  Remaining anonymous allows me to say things that I wouldn't necessarily say if everybody knew who I am.  (Although I have several things working in my favor:  friends in high places who would tell me if I was going too far across the line, and the fact that I write in English.)

Desert Girl is my alter-ego.  If you saw me at work or met me in a professional capacity, you would probably be disappointed.  Unless I know you (or in rare cases, immediately like you)  I don't let my walls down.  I'm a guarded person until you can prove that it is ok for me to be open.  And hey - I'm not a slutty boozehound based on what some interpret from my posts.  I'm really not wild (subject to interpretation, bien sur).  If you invite me to your home, I'm not going to jump on the bar and dance around with a bottle of tequila in my hand (not unless you pay me - ha ha just kidding).  I sleep at a reasonable hour and probably spend more time alone or with my dog than anyone would believe.  That's the real me.  Real simple.


Et, mes amis,  I don't blog about everything I do or everyone I know.  If I did, I would have to give up work and spend faaaaaar too much time in front of the computer.  This may come as a newsflash, but not everything I do is that interesting to me.  

A circumstance arose recently where I was introduced as "Desert Girl, the Blogger" at a function and people literally stared/glared at me all night as if I were undergoing a psychological evaluation (or maybe they were wondering if I was going to blog about them - well hey, I am, but not in the same context as you might imagine).  It was very disturbing to me.  I just wanted to leave, but I stayed out of respect to my hosts.  The people I write about are usually close friends who read my blog too, so they know that I'm writing about them and we all have a laugh about it later.  Most of the time, they're too busy to read every post, so I occasionally send them snippets. I don't believe in trashing people on the internet.  (No really, I don't.)

Then there are those people who mistakenly think they know you.  I have been propositioned by virtual "friends" (people who think they know me based on my blogdentity) for fast and dirty sex.  Does that bother me?  Of course it does - especially when they assume that I'm just going to drop trou and go at it like rabbits based on words on a computer screen.  You don't know me although you think you do.  What would allow anyone to think that someone they had never met would be so promiscuous?  I hope I set him straight.  I may flirt, but the truth of the matter is, I'm a 1-man-woman.  

I don't want people to know who I am.  I don't want to be introduced as, "Desert Girl, the Blogger." Sometimes, well-intentioned people do.  I just want my anonymity.  I cherish it.  Lately, it is getting much harder to do.