I've been a relatively happy person for the past year. It's odd for me, because of how I grew up, the things I've been through, and the way I used to be. If you knew me a few years before, you might say I'm not the same person at all... or you might say I've just been distancing myself from the internet.

That's not entirely true, but I've come to realize that nothing good ever came from me complaining about the bad stuff. It didn't make me feel better, and it only gave me a record (on livejournal) of the bad stuff, so that if I went back through my personal entries I would only feel bitterness and sadness. Consequently I haven't gone through them in a long time. I also like to maintain some sort of professional air while I'm online, in case anything bad ever got back to the people I want to employ me.

I've been wondering, though, if this makes me somehow unapproachable. Not just on the internet, but in real life too; I've never been a very outgoing person in real life. I'm the quiet type who always had her nose stuck in a sketchbook. It isn't that I don't have much to say... I've just found through experience that it's usually better not to say it.

But I wonder how many people reall know me, or consider me a friend. How many people would help me out if I needed something? How many contacts do I have in the industry, that really think enough of me to help me get a job? (You can blame my Career Development class for this ramble.) How many people do I know, that I could recommend for a job if the situation came up?

I don't want to be unapproachable, or unfriendly. I'd like to have many people I can call friends, but the truth is I don't think I know very many people. I mean, really know them, by anything but a vague face in a crowd, or maybe a first name or an online nickname.

So maybe I should start being more outgoing. (Did I promise you I didn't ramble much in my journal? I lied. ) If you happen to actually read my journals, let's have a conversation. I'd like to get to know you a little better -- tell me your real name, or what you do for a living, or your pets' names. Don't fill it out like a survey. But really, spend a paragraph or two telling me about yourself. If you have questions for me, ask! I'll tell you something about myself in return. I'd love to have more people I can really call friends.