I was considered one of the experts at my last job when it came to anything involving computers. Most of my coworkers were capable of only the basics. I was often called a genius when I unjammed the printer without having to call the IT department, or fixed a major problem by simply rebooting the computer. If I mentioned anything involving social media or social networking, I would usually get a lot of blank stares. Occasionally someone would be interested, but mostly because they thought I was just telling a fascinating sci-fi story.

Although it was sometimes flattering to be considered so cutting edge among my peers, most of the time I just laughed to myself and rolled my eyes behind their backs. Later, I started to grit my teeth in annoyance. Eventually, it was one of the main reasons that I walked out the door for good.

I mentioned to my fellow tech event attendees that I have felt like the bee girl in Blind Melon’s video for their song, “No Rain.” I’ve been doing a song and dance for a crowd that doesn’t have a clue. After getting involved with local tweetups and meetups, and regional events such as WordCamp, I think I have finally found my Bee People.

Watch the video below or Read No Rain lyrics.

“Private Storm” is a song by singer/songwriter Sam Phillips from her 1991 album Cruel Inventions.
Sam Phillips – Private Storm

I’ve always loved Sam’s music, all the way back to the days when she was known as Leslie. Most of the kids my age listened to New Kids on the Block or CCM back then, but I always had The Turning on constant repeat.

The Turning was unlike any of the bland, cookie-cutter CCM that I had grown up with. At the time of its release, some in the CCM industry deemed her a heretic, but as she told me this past summer, she “just wanted to make better records.”

A couple of years ago I registered this domain – privatestorm.com – not because that is my favorite Sam song. The lyrics are a bit of a downer in some ways, although at certain points in my life I could clearly relate.

Read Private Storm lyrics

I’ve locked my own personal hurricanes indoors and have been very private about almost everything. All too often I have let my own “thunder of cruel perfection” stop me from doing things because I didn’t think even my best would be good enough. I’m still very conscious of retaining a level of privacy, but at the same time, I’m ready to stop talking in code.

So… I thought, for now, a suitable tagline for this blog will be: “unlocking the hurricane that’s been raging on through the years.”

Most of all, I just like the way those two words sound together. For me, the phrase ‘private storm’ conjures the idea of brainstorming, which is something I’m always doing. And something that I will frequently blog about from now on.