"Oh my gosh."

So, I've got a story.

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Brittany. She had two little brothers (names not relevant to this story), a mother and father, and several grandparents. Like any other little girl (we assume, anyway) Brittany went through phases, in her behaviour and speech. At one point, she was saying "Oh, my gosh." A lot. Not really a big deal, right? A little annoying after a while, sure, but basically harmless. Not so much. You see, this little girl's maternal grandmother was very christian. Brittany's parents had been raised to different religions, and the topic didn't come up much at home, so all that Brittany knew of religion came from going to church with her grandparents when she spent time with them during the summers. (More on that in another post... someday.) Now one day, Brittany's grandmother had called the family, just to chat and catch up. She talked to Brittany's mother first, and then the phone was handed over to Brittany. Just before this, though, the girl was informed that she was not to say "oh my gosh" to her grandmother. She was confused, but agreed. She made it through several minutes of conversation with her grandmother, and then tragedy struck. One of her brothers came down the hall wearing heels and a large floppy hat, and Brittany's immediate reaction was an automatic "Oh, my gosh." Her grandmother didn't comment on it, and the girl barely noticed. Later, however, she would ask her mother why she wasn't supposed to say that to her grandmother. Brittany's mother told her that because of the grandmother's religion, the phrase "oh, my gosh" would be offensive, seeing as it was a small step away from being "oh, my god." Brittany accepted this, and learned to censor herself while around her family. But she would forever worry that her grandmother hated her for letting an "oh, my gosh" slip on the phone that once.



True story. And the thing is, I think that may have been the beginning of my inability to be "myself", whoever that is. I am a different person depending on who I'm with. There are things I would never say to some of my friends that I don't think twice about when I'm with other friends. And I've noticed recently that the things I laugh at when I'm alone differ vastly from what I'll allow myself to find funny when I'm with people. More than that, I really like to read, and I try to have a book with me at all times. Depending on who I'm going to see, the books I carry will change, to the point where I'll start a new book and read two at once for the length of time that I'm around people, just to avoid them seeing what I'm actually reading. So, I've a question. Am I the only one that does this? How about to this extent?


Oh, and I'm still pretty sure my grandmother is convinced that I'm going to hell. My comments to her have gotten a smidge stronger than "gosh", though...