"Outed"! It Goes With The Territory

I was engrossed in some article this morning and sipping my coffee when Hub uttered a rather loud, "Sheesh! You've been outed!"

"What?"

"Huckleberries! Your defense of your blogging buddy about Rathdrum."

I started to laugh. It seems my blogging mentor, Dave Oliveria of the Spokeman Review, used a part of a recent post of mine in his print edition column this morning. It was really more about the recent controversy over two stories by SR columnists regarding Rathdrum than it was about me. Never-the-less he did mention me by name and gave my blog address.

Hub is rather paranoid about such. He figures we'll now have to fence the driveways and load the guns. I calmed him down. "Not to worry, he didn't use our last name and it's no where on my blog."

The good citizens of Rathdrum haven't much cared for the press they've been getting. They seem to think the stories have been a put down. An editorial in their local paper, The Rathdrum Star, said as much as did letters to the editor in both papers. Being familiar with the town I understood where the reporter was coming from and wanted to defend him. I also think it's great how proud the town's people are of their community and how vocal some of them were in expressing it.

Dave's point was that any entity coming into it's own and attracting notice will get publicity; good and bad. And that's okay.

My point in all of this goes back to Hub's fear of repercussions versus the way one chooses to blog. I don't believe in using profanity and will not tolerate it in my comments section. I would say to a person's face anything I write about them. I question things I don't understand and criticize things I feel are deserving but whatever goes into a post is either observation from a personal point of view or opinion. It is not my intention to humiliate anyone or anything; just to make people think.

I've been at this nonsense for several years now. My blog, my dog and I are synonymous - Dogwalk Musings. I have no position what-so-ever in the community so my real name is of no consequence. At Blogfest I introduce myself as Dogwalk Musings and that seems to suffice. My friends know it; who else cares? I've had relatively few bad experiences. I'd like to think it's because of my trying to be even handed. Fair. Decent.

So I've been outed. It's happened before. As long as Hub's request that our last name not be used, I don't mind. It does mean someone is actually reading what I write. Why else would one blog? As Dave said about Rathdrum becoming an increasingly important player in northern Idaho I'll apply to the increasing visibility of my blog, "Publicity comes with that. Some good. Some bad. However, it's better to be discussed - and even cussed at times - then to be ignored."

Hub and I have differing opinions. Which is more prudent? I guess that remains to be seen. I'm willing to stick with mine. He doesn't read what I write anyway!