When I first started blogging, I never really gave much thought to the fact that people would be reading my thoughts. During this time, I was already keeping an online journal where I did have people reading my thoughts. And as you would expect, you write differently for both situations.

When I got started, I didn’t even let anyone outside of my husband (who I believe doesn’t bother to read anything I write – though for all I know, I could be wrong) know that I was blogging.

So of course, as time went on, my readership increased. As my readership increased, I felt more comfortable letting others know about it. I went so far as to tell my friends to add me to their Reader or to subscribe to my blog emails.

And now, as goofy as it sounds, I kinda, almost, sorta, but not exactly, regret that move.

In many ways I feel like my privacy has been invaded. Well, not really, I mean, I am inviting the world and all her friends over to read what I write. I sometimes feel like I can’t share what’s going on in my life because it either involves my friends, or people that specifically know me or my friends.

You know, I seem to have lost that sense of anonymity.

Sometimes I have things that are going on in my life that I’d love to write about and share. But I’m always afraid that my friends will either recognize themselves (or just assume I’m talking about them whether I am or not) or they’ll be bothered that I’m writing about them at all.

The tough thing though, is that when you share your life for so long (over 6 years now, give or take) that it’s not easy having to having to censor my sharing like that. It’s almost like not being able to talk with closest friend about something that’s personal and just need to share.

Has anyone else felt this way about blogging and their loss of anonymity? I mean, how does Dooce do it?