Being back on the net makes me a bit cautious. By nature, I’m an extremely private person who will only reveal herself to very a close inner circle of friends and family. I thought about how much to reveal myself here on this blog, but if it’s only my thoughts that I share, then it’s hardly personal at all. Why did I even sign up for this webspace? I hear myself asking.

I’m paranoid about people connecting this blog to me. Back in 1996, when I was a freshman in college high on internet fever, I was immensely into the chat scene where I met several people from all over the country via my computer screen. Then I realized that I had no life because chat was more fun than meeting real people. Pathetic. Not only that, the people I met online turned out to be psychos, pedophiles, anime fanboys, and lovesick puppies who couldn’t be with the person they thought was THE ONE because she lived across the country (not me, per se). The weird thing is that people will readily reveal themselves over the internet to strangers because strangers won’t judge them. That’s what I got: a lot of people explaining their problems to me because they thought I could help them. All the while, I kept thinking to myself, “God, you are pathetic," and "I hope I don’t turn out like them.” So, as my sister calls it, I committed “internet suicide.” I stopped all chat, changed my email address, took down a couple of websites, and never responded to emails from online “friends.” I focused on my REAL life, bonded with REAL people, and had a blast without all that online drama.

Now, I’m back. I hope those online people don’t find me again.