Almost none of my friends read my blog. It's something that used to bother me, but now I just think it an odd fact. And not a new one. When I was on the local radio station, few people I knew in the area tuned in (they may have listened to the station, but not to hear me).
When I went to WTJU, things didn't change. After twenty+ years of producing and hosting a classical music show on the station, many of my friends are still surprised to hear I'm on the radio (some have forgotten that fact, and so are surprised twice), and -- even though the show is broadcast online and archived for on-demand listening -- never listen to the program.
Do I feel sorry for myself? Hardly. Early on, both in my radio career and in my blogging, I figured out that any type of communication will find its own audience. The reality is that most of my friends don't listen to classical music. So why would they make a point of tuning in to my program?
And many of my friends are indifferent, occasional, or sometimes begrudging Internet users. So subscribing to a blog isn't something they normally do anyway. And again, the topics I tend to write about don't appeal to everyone.
So I have an online readership that I share my thoughts with -- that my friends are never aware of.
I have an on air audience that I share music with -- that my friends never hear.
It's a strange dichotomy. Because what I say "in public" (online or on air) is in some ways more private than what I share with friends. But I don't have a public and a private persona. Whether you're reading this post, or listening to my broadcast, or chatting with me at a gathering, I'm the same person.
Too bad my friends don't get the whole picture, but that's alright. I'm not sure I'd subscribe to my sister's My Little Pony blog (if she were to write one) either.
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