So common, it’s a verb

To google someone or something is so common a practice, it is a verb. Occasionally, I have the urge to try to figure out what people who I have known and have long since lost any contact with are up to. This usually only manifests itself with a quick search on google, nothing that involved and nothing going beyond a few seconds of perusal. I’m not that crazy. I know I’m certainly not alone in this sort of practice. But thoughts of that elementary school friend who used to live across the street or that close friend you drifted away from since high school periodically float through my mind; I get all misty-eyed and see if they have an obvious internet presence.

What I did realize is that, if anyone did the same to my name, who knew me before I got married, who wouldn’t know that I go by Denovich, I am invisible out there, completely invisible. Sometimes I think this is a good thing. Certainly there are characters out there who I would never want to have contact with again. But if someone genuine who had those similar misty-eyed moments about me, they would be left empty handed with their curiosity. All it would take is a few choice uses of my maiden name in this blog or our photo gallery.

I admit the public and open nature of a blog keeps me exposed, vulnerable even. I mean, when Mark’s mom makes a comment to me in person about something I’ve written, I’m taken aback. I think it would be less strange just to receive a comment within the context of the entry. I’m amazed and sometimes perplexed that people (other than the one’s I know about) are actually reading this. And that gives me pause to occasionally question my own blog existence and practices. For instance, I think it would be odd to know that my co-workers read this. But a quick google search for my name and I’m at the top of the list, I know it isn’t hard to find me with my married name.

My work environment isn’t like other’s I’ve been in, nor like what I see at Mark’s work place. We are in such scattered age brackets and so few of us; there is no one, well except one person, with whom I would be comfortable extending a friendship beyond the workplace. For comparative value, we frequently just hang out with many of Mark’s coworkers, it is just a different environment, a different rapport, there is an affinity and similarity between everyone there that fosters development of friendships. I know Mark’s coworker’s read my blog, surely mine do as well and just sit in silence and keep their comments to themselves. Which is fine. I don’t need to know. I would prefer to receive commentary within the structure of the entry in question.