I have secrets.
There are things I know about myself that I'd probably prefer others didn't. They are things that I don't want included in the public face I put on before I leave the house everyday. Overall I think the person I am in the privacy of my own space is pretty much the one I also show to others--and yet, there are things I'd rather not tell them. I allow the adolescent me to return and worry again: will they still like me if they know the 'real' me?
And then there are the things my friends and loved ones really think--the things they may say only when I am not in the room. Do I want to know those?
Tim Kreider, author of "We Learn Nothing," got a dose of knowing himself better when he received an email not intended for him, and asks if we want our flaws to be undetected by our friends and loved ones, or if we want to be fully known, and loved in SPITE of our faults and foibles.
QUESTION: If you could hear the full list of all your positive qualities, all the good and kind things people think about you, but only after you sat through a reading of the list of the faults your friends and loved ones discuss when you are not in the room, would you?
Read Tim's piece.
I Know What You Think of Me, by Tim Kreider
(A shout out and thanks to Ellen K for the link to Tim's article!)
#blogElul is the brainchild of Rabbi Phyllis Sommer, aka Ima on the Bima. The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with the Selichot, the prayers of forgiveness. We look to begin the year with a clean slate, starting anew, refreshed. All month, along with Rabbi Sommer and others, I'll be blogging a thought or two for each day to help with the month of preparation. Follow Rabbi Sommer on twitter @imabima for all the #BlogElul posts. YOu can follow me on twitter @Vicki_Weber. If you decide to blog yourself, check out the list of daily topics and jump in! Be sure to tag your posts on Twitter and Facebook so they can be included on the stream.
