A few days ago, I mentioned to my parents that I kept an online diary. I had not previously perceived this activity as in any way abnormal, but my parents seemed to think I�d finally blown my rocker. (Speaking of which, what exactly is that expression supposed to mean, anyway? I keep thinking of an exciting international spy-type person duct-taping dynamite to a rocking chair, but that can�t be right.)

�Why,� said the Evil Dictator, �would anyone post his diary online?� (Notice the flawless pronoun/antecedent agreement there, boys and girls. That�s life with an English professor.) �Isn�t the point of diaries that no one reads them?�

�Oh, online diaries are quite a big thing now,� interjected my mother, with more baffled looks from the Evil Dictator.

�Well duh,� I said, �you don�t tell people who you are.� Pause. �Well, sometimes you do. But not the people that you don�t want to read it. Obviously. I mean, how are they supposed to know it�s there?�

�But diaries are supposed to be a secret,� repeated the Evil Dictator, sadly unable to escape from his 1950s mindset.

�No, no,� I explained, eager to share my knowledge. (I know something you don�t know! Ha ha!) �They were secret because the only people to share them with were people you knew, and that just doesn�t work. You know. Like, yeah. But now you can share your feelings with total strangers, and that�s just, you know, spiffy.�

�But why would you want to open yourself up to a total stranger?�

�It doesn�t matter!� I exclaimed. �They don�t know who you are! Just some kid from Arkansas, and that�s it. But they read what you�re feeling, and sometimes they leave you messages, and then you�ve shared and communicated and stuff and that�s just really awesome. Plus you can read what other people wrote, and sometimes they�ve gone through the same things you�re going through, and, you know, it�s like personal.�

�Oh,� said the Evil Dictator. �Then where�s your diary?�

�Augh!� I said. �Good grief, I�m not telling you! I only share with people I don�t know! Otherwise they�d know too much, and that�s not good!�

�Oh,� he said. �Right.�

So I think I finally got my point across. Possibly. And it wasn�t that amusing, darn it. What�s wrong with sharing your thoughts with total strangers when they understand? And if they don�t understand, then it doesn�t matter because they don�t know you. It seems perfect to me.

Anyway� it�s just sort of, you know� cool.