What is Your Online Footprint?

I have been challenged with the task to go online and view myself through someone else's eyes. So, I started with the most logical starting point and googled my name. As I typed M-I-A- G-I-N-D-L-E-S-P-E-R-G-E-R and prepared to hit enter, I wondered to myself what I might find out there about me. On a side note: I did happen to also think, I really need to marry someone with a short last name. After years and years of typing Gindlesperger, I dream of the day I can maybe type a name like Smith or Jones. Ok, back to the task at hand. After hitting enter, I have to admit, I was a bit nervous about what I might find. I have never posted anything wild or crazy nor have I ever been in any kind of legal trouble or anything, but the thought of what exists out there about me did make me feel a bit uneasy.

The first thing that popped up on my screen was pictures. Lots and lots of pictures mostly all posted by me at some point on one of my social media platforms. The pictures were all tasteful and there was not anything that was unsettling to me. However, upon further evaluating the pictures, such as me basking in the sun on the sea in Italy, swimming with stingrays in the Cayman Islands, being crowned Homecoming Queen in high school and giving a speech at my high school graduation, (that one was from a local newspaper publication) to name a few, they all felt a bit self-absorbed or artificial. As I dug deeper, there were even pictures of me on a mission trip that I had the honor of attending a few years back. I thought, well there is a little more substance. Something that was life-changing for me and I can only hope made a small difference in the lives of those I served. Not that I am not proud of my accomplishments nor do not have fond memories of my travels, it just kind of felt peculiar looking at it from a different mindset.

As I stared at the screen, looking at what an outsider might interpret from all these pictures and what their perspective of me might be, a few thoughts popped into my mind. They might think, "Wow! What a glamourous life she must have." "She has it all!" They may even feel a bit envious of all I have accomplished in just 20 years. Then, I had a gut-wrenching feeling, what if they felt less of themselves or like they didn't measure up. This stuck in my mind and seemed to resonate the loudest in my head.
When I posted these pictures of some happy moments in my life, I never gave a single thought about how they might make others feel.

None of these pictures showed me when I wake up with my hair a wild mess, or when I had a big pimple on my face. They did not show the tears of disappointment and shortcomings, they just featured me on my good days and lots of big smiles. Do not get me wrong, I am not ashamed of who I am, I just do not think the pictures of me that circulate the internet tell the whole story.

This assignment has certainly given me a lot to think about. In a world where we post only all the "good stuff" how do we know what is real? With that in mind, I will move forward with a more conscious and thoughtful approach as to what message I send out into the world. All while, of course, looking for that "Mr. Right" with a short last name!