In this world of ultra-connectedness, where there seems to be an ongoing race to tweet, Instagram and Facebook our lives in minute detail, I really do enjoy doing most things without feeling the need to tell the world about it. I don’t take a lot of pictures. I don’t tweet or post a lot about my personal life (ok, more than some, but less than others). And because I spend so much of my day working on the computer, I revel the moments when I can disconnect, and maybe even get some sunlight on my face instead of this harsh computer screen glow.
There is, of course, a lot to be said for sharing. And this has been on my mind a lot lately. Sharing is an incredible outlet that I believe I’ve both underestimated and misunderstood for most of my life. I’ve shied away from it for fear of feeding my narcissism. I’ve kept my distance out of fear of exposing myself in some way. I suppose I was raised with the idea that discretion is best and calling too much attention to one’s self is simply arrogant and possibly pretentious. It rarely occurred to me that I had much of value to share, or that other people might actually benefit from it in some way.
Neither did it occur to me that the act of sharing, especially when done thoughtfully, is a rewarding process. It forces you to think. Out loud. Even as I’m typing these words I realize that I did not intend this first post of I Code and I Cook to come out this way. I thought I would make quips about how I moved to the countryside and discovered what a kitchen was after living my whole adult life in tiny, ill-equipped apartments. The funny thing about thinking out loud is that the thoughts are often much different once spoken (or written) than they were in your head.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately, and I need to start doing it out loud. I’ve also been cooking a lot lately, and I would love to share that with you.
I can’t tell you what to expect from this blog because my hope is that it will be a surprise to both of us. I can tell you that this is a much needed outlet to explore – and share – all aspects of my life that don’t have to do with work. It may get personal. It will always be honest. And yes, there will be food. Lots of food.
I have intentionally not spent any time on the look of this blog. I just want to write. I want to be the user for a while, not a web designer, and I want to explore the act of blogging unencumbered by preoccupations about design. As I go, the look and layout will evolve and improve, and I’ll cover those topics over on my professional blog.
Thank you for reading and for sharing this with me!