Time To Be Brave

Two days ago I sat down at the computer to write a blog post. I thought I was going to write a normal, family story post. Instead what came out was To Blend Or Not To Blend, a post on being myself instead of doing what everyone else does.

It was only after I hit Publish that I started to think, "What if I offend all those nice people out there who happen to like wearing jeans, high heels and make up? I'll have to write an apology note on the end." So I went back and added the apology note, then worried for the rest of the day. I needn't have. The responses were overwhelming. People I'd never met stopped to have their say. Comment after comment showed up on my dashboard from people who wore skirts and those who liked jeans. That was my first brave post.

Ever since I joined the blogosphere I've admired people who can write thought provoking posts with strong opinions. I read the posts, and the comments afterwards and tried to imagine posts like those. But I failed every time. I'm too scared to come out and say what I think. I can wear the clothes I like, be myself wherever I go, but I don't say what I think.

Subjects come up in conversation, subjects I know I have a different opinion on. As they come up I slid away from them, skirting neatly round the danger areas. No sense in getting into a debate. Or so I tell myself. And I never say what I feel about these subjects.

I should say what I think. I should say that I don't think something is right, instead of dodging the point, turning a blind eye. But I'm scared to. What if people think I'm too strange? What if they think I'm judging them? What if they decide not to talk to me again?

But on the other hand, why can't I say what I think? As long as I do it in a way that doesn't offend anyone, or try to force my opinions onto other people. If they can't accept what I think, they don't have to. But I can say what I feel too.

Maybe it's time to break away from 'safe' subjects, like what we did in a day. Maybe it's time for me to air my opinions a little. Who knows? Maybe one day I'll be one of those people with the thought provoking posts and one million comments after them. And that would be good, so long as I remember that other people think differently to me, and that they're entitled to have an opinion too

Will you join me as I attempt to be 'brave'?

Do you find it hard to come out and say what you think? Are you afraid of saying the wrong thing? Of people thinking your opinions are strange? Or are you one of those lucky people who always know how to say what they want to say?