overlap

You read my blog, therefore I consider you my friend. And thereby you get closer to knowing, because you get to read exactly what I'm saying, and often further explanations as to exactly what I mean(t), and why that matters. There's some stuff that really matters, some that sort of matters and some that doesn't. There's various things, beside the obvious, that is up for discussion in certain circles, and doesn't even exist in others. My colleagues know I had a couple of days off recently, but they don't know that I spent them in Ireland, or indeed what I was doing there. Why? They don't need to know. I was on tour because I like going on tour, it's one of the things that I do, but I do it for me, not so I can discuss it with everyone. There's a bunch of people who I spend a lot of time around, almost none of whom have ever seen me cook meat (despite lots of seeing me cook), but almost all of whom have been out in restaurants where I've eaten meat, or seen me scavenge meaty leftovers off someone else's plate for that matter. Being thought to be vegetarian or not is of no importance - I'm used to it, and when it comes up I correct them with a weary resignation. I don't remotely care if someone thinks I'm vegetarian, and I don't expect anyone to care about whether I am or not. I only care that someone is telling factually incorrect information about me. And I'm especially bored with that particular one! On the other hand, none of those people have ever knowingly seen me drink alcohol, and it's a damn sight easier to go along with the assumed no alcohol ever line on the exceptionally rare occasion the subject arises. Because I just can't be arsed to explain that I do in fact have the odd glass, and infrequent bottle of wine at home, but I'm not in the habit of drinking outside my home (*with certain sparkly special occasion exceptions) because I'm usually driving, and no, that means I don't have a medical condition that prevents me from drinking, and yes, I never started drinking when my friends did for a variety of reasons, all of which are still my own business, and no, thanks for asking I really don't want a beer right now, and that's right, it's certainly not a religious thing, and so on and on and on. I don't feel sidelined, marginalised or left out. I do feel left to get on with whatever else I'm doing without feeling forced to justify it, and that's the way I like it.