When I first started blogging, I don’t think I ever seriously thought about the Internet footprint I would be leaving behind. We all know that you can never “get back” anything you put online. But, when I started this blog, I don’t think I really dwelled too much on that fact. We started the blog because I had met other bloggers that I liked and admired. We started it because I wanted a space to document our lives together. We’ve continued it because I feel like we have a strong point of view and we both want to share our life choices and philosophy with others. 

Still, it still sometimes strikes me as odd that two years ago, the only people who knew what the word “Florken” meant were Adam and I. I even recall Googling the term and getting no relevant hits back in the day. It was a secret way for Adam and I to refer to our lives… our family. But now, a simple Googling of the same term leads straight to this place. Even scarier are the Google Images — our faces are there for all to see! As I snuggled down in bed last night it suddenly struck me that even if one day Adam and I decided to leave this space, those images… those search results… that legacy will still, in some small way be there. It’s not like we are giant bloggers who have thousands and thousands of followers. We aren’t, nor are we ever truly likely to be. Still, the idea of a permanent Internet footprint should give us all a little pause.

If you blog, you put your life out there for all to see. Not everyone out there is nice. Not everyone out there will love you. Not everyone out there is harmless. These are negatives that exist and must be thought about. Before each post, I try to make sure we haven’t shared “too much.” I try to ask myself if this post could ever be embarrassing for future children. I try to ask myself whether I want it forever associated with our name and our family. It’s a hard balance to strike sometimes and all too often I have failed miserably at it, but I still try. 

For now, we love blogging. We love this space. We love what it offers and we love those we meet. However, I think I will always be slightly uneasy with our Internet footprint but maybe that’s for the best. Being wary of my own footprint just might keep me on my toes…

Do you ever worry about your own Internet footprint?