maybe you do...maybe you don't

I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts the other day. The podcast was from GFT Radio (shoutout to Sunny & Clint) and it was called "Do people really know you?"

The title made me stop and ask myself..."Do people REALLY know me?"

On the podcast, they talked about whether people really know you based on what people may post on their social media accounts. That thought...made me ask myself the question again..."Do people REALLY know me?"

Do you know me? Maybe you do. Maybe you don't.

Here's what I do know...I'm sure that many of you know me. Those of you who read this blog and have bonded with me through social media. You know more than what's on the surface (I'm married...we have 4 kids...we live in Atlanta...I'm a proud alum of South Carolina State University...I love football...I love hip hop...etc). That's the surface stuff. That's the stuff that most people know.

Do you know more than that based on what I say on my social media accounts? Maybe. I've often said that Kyle and 12kyle...are the same person. I've always said I would never try to be somebody that I'm not. I'm me. I'm comfortable with who I am and who I will be. I've been this way since I was about 7. I wouldn't want to be anybody else. I'm great at being Kyle. I'm great at being that guy. I'd probably suck at being anybody else. What you see on social media is the same as what you'd see off line.

Honestly, if you read this blog consistently, you probably have a better insight as to who I am than what you may see on Facebook or Twitter. I've managed to "put my lifetime in between these paper's lines." Was it by design? No...it just happened. I've had this blog for nearly 10 years. If you've been around for awhile, you probably have an understanding as to who I am. I've been through a lot and I've shared it here. I'm probably more likely to share a deeper thought or feeling here before I do on social media. Funny...many of you have learned more about me here than members of my family who don't even know that this blog exists. It's not that I didn't tell them...they have just never read it. And that's cool with me.

My inner circle knows me. They know me well. As they should. That's what matters to me. The inner circle is always tight and their opinions of me and what I do matter. It's always been that way. I wouldn't have it any other way. But everybody can't be in the circle. And I'm cool with that. Some of you who read this blog are in a rare place with me as for knowing about me...and some have never met me. That's a different circle but I'm appreciative of it.

So...that gets me back to the original question...

Do people REALLY know me?

Most don't.

Well...maybe a select few do.

And I'm cool with that.

But do people really know me?

Maybe they do...maybe they don't. And I'm cool with that as well.