Spotlight on Average Jane

I've decided to spend a bit of time every week (say, on Thursdays?) focusing on some of the websites that I frequent. Not all of these are blogs, but today's is: Average Jane.

Most of the lists like 10 Mistakes Bloggers Make and the like say that you have to post a picture of yourself (see this post at J-Walk Blog), but Jane gets away without it. There's a likeness of her, of course, but no picture. In fact, despite the fact that there is a TON of personal information about her on the site (most of her posts are humorous commentary on the daily grind), I know almost nothing about her.

Her name's not even Jane. She doesn't mention her hometown or workplace or husband or friends by name. She is in a heavy metal band. I find this approach refreshing; I can read about the daily happenings of a person, and get to see their emotions and get to 'know' them, but I have no idea what their real name is, where they live, or anything else that could potentially identify them.

This is the opposite of today's cultural atmosphere. Most of the time, you're entranced by a character on a popular TV show, and you get to the point where you feel you know them. But the joke's on you, pal, because behind the shimmering magic of your television screen, they are a completely different person, and they have no interest in letting you know that side of them. This is embarrassing, but I used to daydream that if I could just get 10 minutes with Tom Hanks, I could convince him that I'd be fun to hang out with, and then I could be friends with him. While Tom might be a really nice guy, I'm quite sure the scenario would play out differently. He might, for instance, demand to know why I have him locked in a small room, even if it's just for 10 minutes.

But I digress. I simply want to salute you, Jane, for allowing the world to share your experiences while maintaining your most private aspects (like your identity!). Also, I get a kick out of your humorous writing style.