Sitting Naked in Front of the World

This title ought to bring some web traffic my way. And it's even partially true.

I'm about to launch my first blog, and the sensation is quite similar to what I experienced at Home Expo Design two weeks ago.

I was there with my husband, Roy, and our good friend and interior designer, Lita. We're re-doing our master bath, primarily because the shower is so tiny that even I have trouble not bumping into the walls. Lita suggested that we visit a place where she could learn about our tastes in bathroom fixtures. We set off from Sedona to Phoenix.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Design Expo, it's the design arm of Home Depot, and features many different decorating options in one humongous space. Too many options for me, actually. After 3 hours, I no longer cared if anything matched anything else, but Lita insisted that we had to look at the display "commodes" before we left. I guess that in Home Depot they're toilets, but in Home Expo they become commodes.

So we trekked to that side of the building. I can't remember the last time I actually evaluated the appearance of a toilet, but it seemed to me that the basic shape had changed from round to more oval. I remarked on this to Lita, and she said that's why it's important to try them before we choose. I looked at her incredulously. "Try them?" And she replied, "You know - sit down on them and see if they feel right to you."

At first I figured no way, but I was curious to see if those oval shapes felt different from the rounder ones. So I looked around carefully to make sure that no one was watching, and then took a seat. And fell in.

Yes, I was shocked and embarrassed, but more than that, I was totally surprised at how the evolution of toilet seats had passed me by. Lita was right; I'd have to be Goldilocks and keep trying them out until I found one that felt just right.

Which brings me to the subject of my blog. I've been working hard in the past month to master the terms and processes that will allow me to feel comfortable navigating in this new kind of web space. It definitely feels awkward and exposed, and I haven't even begun making regular entries yet. It is the equivalent of public commode sitting.

What's fascinating to me, is that young people *want* to do this. I can't imagine what that feels like. I'm creating this blog because I live in the world of 2007, where maintaining a blog is a necessity if one wants to pursue a writing career. And writing is something I passionately want to continue to do.

By the end of the summer I will be sending out my latest book proposal, and my agent tells me that prospective publishers will be expecting to see an active blog that speaks to the subject matter. I must sit on that commode, for the world to see.

So be it. And being the scrappy little competitor I am, I will rise to the occasion and deliver the best blog I can.

In spite of my inherent shyness, I will learn how to speak out and share what's important to me. I will provide quality content along with personal experience and make it worthwhile for you to click onto Sunny Schlenger's SunCoach Blog.

I only hope that I don't fall in too many times, and that I can count on you, my readers, to give me some support and occasionally leave a comment to let me know if I'm doing OK.

I want to give a public thanks to my friends and web designers, Matt and Ellen, for consistently pulling me out of my bouts of confusion and trepidation. You're the best.

And as I frequently say to myself, "Let's get on with it - onward and upward!"