The more I write and share my own experiences, thoughts, opinions and ideas on the internet, and consume those of others, the more I realise I am something of a rare breed.
Men - be they young or old - don’t typically write life blogs. They write about technology, hobbies, or niche pursuits - they don’t write rambling rubbish. Girls do.
Does this mean I have some kind of weird female brain? I don’t think so. I’ve been told numerous times that I’m a good listener - but I think that’s more to do with caring about people than anything else.
There is one thing. One thing that explains why I do what I do.
I don’t like to conform.
While it’s true that I do conform in most aspects of my life - spending inordinate amounts of effort being the person that other people expect me to be - I take a certain perverse pleasure in doing some things differently. In being different.
In writing about daily experiences, thoughts, ideas, and opinions, I am doing what most other men don’t - and as a byproduct I’m sharing far more than most. There’s a ridiculous male stereotype that dictates that men should be self sufficient, strong, assertive, and independent. Well that’s just a big pile of shit.
People rule. Friends rule. In the years I have been sharing on the internet, I have made all manner of friends in all manner of places. Some are far flung - the other side of the world - others it turned out lived far closer. I was once seen on a train platform by somebody who’s blog I had commented on the previous night.
Many of the friends I have made will remain friends for life. A few are the closest I have ever had.
What am I saying?
Perhaps I’m saying that being different is good.