The picture you see is no portrait of me. It's too real to be shown to someone I don't know.
(Mae Moore - Bohemia)

Here's a confession...

I'm an asocial person and I have a hard time with face-to-face social settings. I often seem reserved and aloof in person. I am absolutely horrid with small talk and I refrain from it whenever possible. However, if you catch me online or via email, you will find that I’m very personable and sociable. If we talk online with a friendly tone and I see you on the streets and merely say hi like a passing stranger, it’s not because I don’t like you but rather I'm shy and bashful. Please forgive me.

Recently two people have accused my online persona and my face-to-face persona being out of sync. Of course I denied it and pointed the finger back at them, accusing them of smoking crack, but in actuality they’re absolutely correct and I've known about it for a long time. This however only occurs with people I don't usually talk to on a consistent basis. With my good friends there isn’t much of a disparity between "online Khiem" and "in-person Khiem".

It just comes down to the comfort level I have with you as a person. If I’m at all a stranger to you in person that means I’m not comfortable with you yet. The reason I’m less shy online is because of that buffer called the internet. (Sometimes I’ve even been known to type in brackets to add another buffer level to ease the discomfort.) This internet buffer is also the reason why I’m such a consistent blogger. I can express my points of view and what’s on my mind without the discomfort of watching someone react to it face to face.

There was a time when I was far more reserved and shy even with close friends in person. That was in high school. I'm gradually coming out of my shell and hopefully somewhere down the road there won’t be much disparity with "online Khiem" and "in-person Khiem".

Don't give up on me yet.