You Don’t Know Me: Going Beyond the About Me Page

Lightening mesmerizes me.
My dreams are vivid to the point of exhaustion.
I still sing lullabies to my seven year old daughter.
I bite my nails.
I love the show Naked and Afraid on NatGeo.
I worry what people think of me.
On stressful days, I drown my thoughts with super loud music in the car.
I battle overeating.
I have to color my premature graying hair twice a month.
I won’t eat food that has even touched an olive.
Sometimes on my lunch break, I simply park under a shade tree and rest.
I forget my friends’ kids’ birthdays.
I identify as a 4 on the Enneagram (check out what that is here).
I am starting to have a hard time falling asleep at night (hello, almost middle age!)
I want another baby, but feel like the window is closing.
My husband and I met on the internet by “accident” back in 1998.
I am not a good housekeeper.
I am a great home cook.
I was born in Hawaii as a Navy brat, but left at 11 months old and haven’t been back.
The ending of Footloose makes me cry every time.
I’ve hugged Sting.
I was part of the pilot episode of a Nickelodeon kids talk show that never aired.
Loose teeth gross me out and I won’t help my daughter pull hers.

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Why tell you these random facts about me? Simply, to illustrate that you don’t really know me at all. I’d bet to say that lots of folks click on the “About Me” page of an author’s website pretty early on. Customarily, the page might mention what state they live in, education background, and a few of their favorite things.

There’s nothing wrong with this. I’d even venture to say it’s a great lead in to the average reader stopping by to peruse books for sale, works in progress, etc.

But how often does an “About Me” page truly engage a visitor? The further I get into this journey of being an author (really, my journey of being alive), I yearn for one thing. Connection. Connection with other authors. Connection with potential readers. Connection with fellow humans living out our days on this crazy planet.

I would bet that after reading the above list, you feel like you know me a little better. Maybe you’ll mutter to yourself, “Man, she’s quirky.” or a slew of other reactions. But, I pray, something will hit you and connect us. Maybe you, too, struggle with self doubt. Maybe housekeeping is also your arch nemesis. Have you rubbed elbows with a legendary rock star, too?

It’s so easy for websites and blogs like mine to be one-sided. I tell you what I’m thinking. Maybe you comment, maybe you don’t. I really hope you’ll do more commenting. Not for better engagement statistics for my site. But rather for us to connect. Discuss. Agree or disagree. Then chuckle to ourselves later in the day remembering the exchange.

Listen, I’ll keep writing about writing. I’ll continue to report updates on my publishing adventures. My faith will always been a topic of discussion. But, I’ll be posting about general life things more often, too. Struggles. Victories. Reflections. And, for goodness sake friends…let’s CONNECT. Let me have the pleasure of getting to know you. We happen to be in this tiny, minuscule space of the internet at the same time. Taking up space on the same planet during this brief few moments in the vast continuum of time. Let’s make it matter!

If you have a website that includes an About Me page, I encourage you to include some tidbits that help your visitors really get to know the real you. Transparency can make us a little vulnerable, but we can’t connect without being a little vulnerable, can we?

Won’t you tell me a little about yourself today?  Hopes, dreams, worries, quirks? Come on, I know you’re an interesting bunch…prove it!  🙂

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TODAY’S TWEETABLES:

You Don’t Know Me: Going Beyond the About Me Page — TWEET THIS!

While we exist on the planet for this brief time, let’s make it matter. #LetsConnect — TWEET THIS!

Does your About Me page truly engage visitors to your site?  — TWEET THIS!