From Georgette … and Dave Dog … and Gemma …

And yet another diarist, whose name is evading my mind just now but was actually the first place I saw this dealiebob (sorry, this survey). There are very small copy editing changes made in two of the questions because silly things irk me, so I needed to make weensy little alterations, but it’s the same one as I have come across now in four favorites’ diaries, which made it time to go ahead and do it too.

What does your online diary name mean, and why did you pick it?

It means that I am a person who is exploring myself, spiritually, mentally, emotionally.

When did you first get an online diary?

I began writing on OD on July 19, 2001. This was my first online diary, and the one I write in the most, the others usually being started as a reaction to something and then abandoned forever or for long spells in between.

Why did you first start an online diary?

I was having layers pulled back, revealing more about myself than had been visible even to myself before. I was coming out as a gay woman while married to a man and parenting two children. I wanted a place to write about the process of becoming myself where I could feel free to express how I felt, thought, and was (am). I felt it would help me move toward greater wholeness and health in my life.

How did you find OpenDiary.com?

My friend Jen (Sleeping to Dream) had been introduced to it through a friend of hers who had a diary here (Stellarchild). As Jen had gone by then through at least a year of my self-absorbed conversations on buses to and from work, I’m guessing she had an ulterior motive for introducing me to the site.

When writing an entry, do you believe you are writing for you or the reader?

I definitely write with an awareness that what I write will be read by others unless I make it private. This involves protecting privacy of people I write about who are not diarists as well as sometimes those who are. It also means that I try to write better than I might if I weren’t writing something that others (hopefully) will read. Mostly, it means I am more careful, and that is a good thing, I think, unless I edit my own thoughts or feelings too much; that gets frustrating, stilted and weird. I do get that way sometimes.

When writing an entry, are you completely honest?

Georgette mentioned the sin of omission; so no, I am not completely honest. Mostly I do try to be as honest about my own stuff as I can be (due to those onion layers). The other aspect is protecting others’ identities, which I take pretty seriously. Very few people are known for long by their real names. I didn’t quite understand just how important that protection was when I started on here; I had some pretty quick, rude awakenings about that though.

Describe your writing setting:

Either in the dining area of the apartment I share with my kids and their dad, or my cubicle in the office where I work.

Is anyone that you know (in real life) allowed to read your diary?

I have told some people about my diary; few actually read it. My sister does, and Kay, and another friend I recently met for coffee. Folláin does sometimes, I think. Neither of my children read here, nor does their father; although sometimes I will show one of them an entry, or share one with them. No one is not allowed to read it.

Do you know anyone in real life with a diary, which you are allowed to read?

I know some ODers I have met in real life, so yes; and of course Jen, although she doesn’t write much anymore. I wish she would because she has lots to offer the world; she’s wise in quiet ways.

Do you believe writing in your online diary is therapeutic?

Definitely.

How many entries do you have?

At the moment, I have 2189 entries.

Do you have any entries that are private?

Yes, I have 52 private entries.

If you answered yes to that (without getting too personal), why don’t you want people to see them?

Various reasons, which are private.

How many favorites do you have?

Something over 100 at the moment, but as I was just checking I see that I need to clean house a bit in that area. It was nice, though, to see the old and the new intertwined. I do think I need to delete some people who haven’t written in three or four years; and some are passing fancies too, we nod at each other and then move along.

Do you know who your first favorite was?

I know it was Jen, under a different name at the time that just now I can’t remember, who is now Sleeping to Dream. She was the only person I knew here!

Have you ever written an entry while too intoxicated?

No, I’ve been sober as long as I have been writing on OD. I have no recollection of writing while intoxicated; I do remember trying to sign a check and shaking too much to do it before I’d had my first drink of the day, but that was in 1982.

Do you feel accepted by the diary community?

Yes, I feel very comfortable here.

Have you secretly fallen in love with (or had a crush on) a diarist?

Yes.

Have you ever read an entry that really moved you? What was it about?

I have read many entries that have really moved me. People write about their lives; what is more moving than that?

Has anyone written an entry that made you cry?

Yes.

What are your favorite kinds of entries to read?

Entries in which I learn something new about the diarist or about the world or about life.

After writing an entry, how long do you wait to see if you have notes?

Ummm. About five minutes.

If you don’t have notes, do you feel let down?

Yes! Of course, in the early days I didn’t have any, so I didn’t feel let down. Once I started getting them, though, I was instantly addicted. Now, it’s a wonderful way to see how well I’ve communicated, and absorb input from other eyes, which is always a good thing for me as my own eyes are a bit blurry often.

How many notes do you usually get?

Using a calculator, it appears that my average number of notes per entry is 12.

Did you know the more notes you leave, the more notes you get?

I figured that out fairly early on, after getting over my initial shyness and “why would anyone want to know what I think?” stuff.

Do you delete mean or nasty notes?

Usually, yes. Not the sort of stuff I want taking up space in my world.

Have you ever left a nasty note and not signed your name?

No.

Have you ever left a note on a person’s diary just to make them feel better?

A few times, yes.

Do you keep a paper copy of your online diary?

Egads, no! I do keep electronic copies, and thank God someone kept an electronic copy of it even before I did, as early on I deleted some really beautiful stuff (mostly in notes). It feels so good to know that it exists somewhere.

Do you go back and re-read your past entries?

Sometimes; there is this notion of putting together a book of whitters, and sometimes I browse through with some vague notion of organizing such a thing.

What’sthe most interesting thing you can think of about OpenDiary?

That it brings together people from all over the world in a really fine format, with so many ways to reach across broad distances and connect on a human level with each other.