Under the wrapping...

One of my colleagues has this year made representations of each of the team in the form of gingerbread people this is how she sees me…(which I tried to upload but my computer hates me)

Ok, so no, it’s not really me, it’s a generic gingerbread person, if it was me you wouldn’t be able to see anything of the legs as my skirts all come down to my ankles, though the MP3 player being attached is definitely me whilst working

Anyway, because little things can often cause bigger thoughts, this got me thinking about how I see other people, and I suppose how other people see me. 

This really relates to my net friends, who I do not see in person.  I will admit that I frequently “see” people as their avatars …. which means that, if others do the same, I am either a naked cat with an evil stare, or alternatively a small hill…….

I totally respect people’s right not to disclose their identity in photographic or any other form. What someone decides to disclose online is down to them and it would be really hypocritical of me to suggest otherwise.  My full name is accessible online, but then again, it’s a really common name, but I won’t put a picture of me online (hell I don’t have photos of me at all if I can help it – severely camera phobic due to a couple of really bad incidents in the past – including one which resulted in police involvement).  So what you imagine I look like I'll leave totally to your imagination.... which is in itself probably gives rise to some extremely strange possibilities!

Some people seem to get hung up on people’s physical appearance, but to be honest, I am really not all that flapped about what people look like.  The wrapping isn’t really what’s important.  The person inside is what really matters… their opinions, their thoughts, their feelings….. none of which are dependant on what they look like. 

Some of my closest real life friends I got to know first on line and whilst they didn’t look anything like my imagination told me they should (hummm, that maybe more to do with me having a rather vivid imagination) it turned out in every case to be completely unimportant, the relationship we’d built up without knowing what the other looked overrode everything else.  I sometimes think you can actually get to know someone better without seeing them first, or at least, the first physical impressions don’t get in the way of discovering the person inside.

Ok, I’m waffling now, but suffice to say, I’d much rather know the person on the inside rather than just be friends with someone because of their appearance.