These Girls Look Better In Real Life*

These fine young ladies are - what I designate as - The Costa Chics. You can't go for coffee without them being involved. I'm an ardent coffee lover and I am always in the mood to absorb some cafe culture, so this is quite a regular thing with these girls. Or at least, it would be if I were more settled in one location. But whenever I am about town, I let my camp side loose and I meet them for caffeine and chitchat.

I hadn't actually met up with these two since I had started my blog however, and I think today I found my first fan. "Oh damn, you know, I was reading your blog post the other day about gay rights or something, and I was just like, shit, this guy is cool as! You get me". At least that's close enough to what was said by Alison, pictured right. Now, I am real close with Katie but I have only known Alison a short while. But I know she's cool enough that if she thinks you are cool; you are cool.

I was pretty chuffed, and we nattered away about how commercialised gay pride had become, which is what she was referring to as "Your blog post the other day about gay rights or something". But it did make me realise how intwined the internet is to real life. It sort of hit me in that moment that what I am writing, what I am putting out there is actually going to be out-there. It's easy to fall into this fallacy that what you post on the social media will never escape the realms of the web. But it does, and people do gossip, and people do judge - despite what they may say otherwise. I can't even claim myself to be guilt free of such behaviour, though I do make a conscious effort not to.

With that all being said, what other people think should never be a reason not to do something. And, obviously, I am not making an example of my blog being talked about, as it was received positively. All I am saying, is that it is important that you are fully aware of what you are posting to the public domain. You should not fear what you put out in to the world - be it cyber or real - but you should well be conscious of its consequences. People all to often envision Facebook and the like as separate from the outside world, but the audience is all the same - if not larger. There is a distinct difference between private and public conversation. If you envisage social media - Facebook, Twitter Etc. - as a podium to announce your thoughts to a large audience, would you still use it to moan and groan about your life or use it to express an opinion and insight perspective thought? There is such a thing as bad publicity, and the internet is public.



* Title requested by said girls.