I have always kind of felt that you can never reallly know another person. Regardless of how open they are and how much they might share, there will always be things about others that we’ll never know. But it is true that we can’t really know much about anyone else unless they share. So it’s kind of a double edged sword right?

Something that made me think about this more is the fact that my partner is a great artist! We’ve been together a long time, but it wasn’t until she started drawing with our daughter that I discovered this hidden talent of hers. Sure we’d talked about getting some adult coloring books when strolling through stores over the years, but that’s different than a blank sheet of paper and creating all sorts of animals and faces. Very detailed too!

When I turn inside and look at myself, I think about the things that I don’t share, that other people really don’t know. My secret talent is not drawing, but I do probably have many things I don’t share with other people, things they’ll never know about me. And assuredly have things I don’t share except with certain people. Maybe it’s a lack of trust. Maybe it’s fear of being rejected. Maybe it’s because I think the things I want to share are against what others believe and I don’t want to start an argument.

I suppose we’re all like that – share some things with some people and not with others. We’re selective about who to trust, who to talk to, who let inside and who to keep outside. Even within the confines of confidentiality and social protections against retaliation, we still keep some things locked up. In some ways that makes me sad, that we can’t be ourselves, that we can’t truly open up and be known. I want to be known and I’m sure most of us do as well. Maybe we could work on that. Sound good? Go Forth.