I read this story in a book this weekend:

Many years ago, back when airlines had to offer promotions to get your money, United Airlines offered a deal called, “Fly Your Wife for Free.” Businessmen were encouraged to buy a ticket for a trip and they would receive a ticket to take their wives along at no extra charge. What a deal!

As part of the promotion, the airline sent a follow up letter thanking the businessmen for taking advantage of the offer [don't get ahead of me, now].

United Airlines was quite surprised by the response of the angry wives, who replied that they had not been their husband’s companions…and wanting to know who had!

Talk about “Fly the Friendly Skies of United!”

That book was one I considered “reputable,” but something about the story didn’t ring true. I began to search on my favorite reference: the handy dandy Internet. Y’all know that sometimes a story is too good to be true. Unfortunately, this is one of “those stories.” According to Snopes, it is an “urban legend,” if you can believe Snopes!

Can you believe Snopes? As I understand it, you can’t believe Wikipedia. Probably you can’t believe a good portion of what you read on the World Wide Web.

When I discovered that I had been exposed to Hepatitis C, I started researching it on the Internet. By the time I got to the doctor, my eyes were as big around as sausages. She assured me, “Don’t believe everything you read in blogs.”

Hey! I write a blog, and I try to be truthful (although sometimes I pretend that Truth is elastic and stretch it a little).

This got me thinking about “Truth” and “Storytelling,” and the power of the Internet. We are writing “stories,” you know.

Some of y’all may be aware that I really tell stories. I make my living as a professional storyteller, performing in front of audiences, and I’ve been plying my craft for twenty years. There is one thing I’ve learned that I know is true:

More so, if the story is a good one! Stories have amazing power over people. I can tell children a fantastical folk tale that includes magic and talking animals. Invariably, a child (who should be old enough to know that animals don’t speak English) will ask, “Is that a true story?”

My answer is usually, “It’s truly a story.” If they still choose to believe, I have to qualify that statement with, “but, it’s not a true story.”

I’ve sometimes told fictional stories that I conjured in my head. Though the stories are not “true,” there is “truth” contained within the framework of the story. I’ve had adults ask if the story is true. My answer is, “It’s as true as your imagination will allow it to be.”

Unfortunately, many people have imaginations that will let just darn near anything be true! That’s why I think we might be “playing with fire” when we write on the Internet.

If people believe I’m telling a true story when they can see me (and study the nuances of my expressions and body language), how gullible will they be when they read a fictional piece that I write? What are our responsibilities as writers on the Internet? On a personal blog, do we need to qualify every bit of writing? What do you think?

Maybe I should just put a disclaimer on the sidebar:

Everything I write is “true.” Some of it just hasn’t happened yet.

I have a delightful friend that I want you to meet. I think you’d really like her.
When I first started reading Bleeding Espresso, Michelle Fabio called herself “Sognatrice.” She has since decided to ‘fess up and tell folks her real name (you really can’t hide on the WWW, can you?). Michelle is an ex-patriated American living in Calabria, Italy (the “toe” of Italy’s boot). If you have never visited her blog, you simply must check it out. Gorgeous pictures and Michelle’s delightful personality will make you feel right at home.

What does she write about? Name it — it’s there.
Do what? “Does she have recipes,” you ask?
Of course she does!
She’s Italian, for heaven’s sake. But, she also offers a little bit of a “travelogue” of Calabria, and tells about her life (with her Italian fiancé and two dogs) in Italy as an expat.

Recently, Michelle began writing for Italy Magazine, where she hopes, she says, to make the “Brits enjoy this American writing about the country they love.” That shouldn’t be hard with a view like this:

She’ll be be writing a weekly column, Guarda! A Video Tour of Italy about interesting aspects of Italian life. The first installment is Il Palio, a most unique horse race in the medieval city of Siena in Tuscany.

I asked Michelle if I could interview her, and she graciously agreed…so here goes a little Q & A with S & M (boy, that ought to get a lot of Google hits!):

1. Q: Michelle, there is one burning question on my mind (as implied by this post title):
   Do you really “bleed espresso?” What in the world inspired that creative name for a blog?

   A: OK, first question and you’ve already figured me out. The truth is that I have normal, espresso-less blood, but I do drink some espresso every day, usually in the form of a cappuccino. I love American coffee too, for the record.

   As for my blog name, I’m going to cheat a bit in my answer and send you to a blog post I wrote about it: A Blog By Any Other Name.

2. Q: You moved to Italy in 2003 because you “wanted to.” That was a pretty bold move for a young woman. Did you have family contacts there, or were you on your own? Did you speak the language fluently? And, what was the most frightening aspect of that move?

   A: I had made some friends here on previous visits, but I didn’t have family contacts. And I spoke very, very little Italian–just what I could remember from phrase books really. I found out, though, that you learn a language quite quickly when you have no choice; not many people speak English here in southern Italy.

   The most frightening aspect of the move was actually that I was starting a freelance writing career at the same time. In fact, that part was even scarier since I’d be relying on my words for income. Gah!

3. Q: Can you name any one thing that you miss about the United States, other than friends and family?

   A: That’s easy. Chick-Fil-A. Seriously. It’s just about the only thing I think about on a fairly regular basis and *so* wish we had here.
   [Editor's Note: Umm, don't let her love of Chick-Fil-A make you think that Michelle's recipes are as icky as that chicken...they are wonderful. No lie.]

4. Q: What’s the best thing about living in Italy?

   A: Other than the obvious like Paolo and my pooches, I love that I eat much healthier here with the wide availability of fabulous, affordable produce and seafood and the emphasis on preparing meals rather than buying them. So I suppose it’s actually a good thing that Chick-Fil-A isn’t here. Whatever.
   

5. Q: You write for several other on-line publications. Could you tell us about them? And, what’s your favorite?
   A: The two that I regularly write for are TomatoCasual.com and LegalZoom.com. Tomato Casual is all about, you guessed it, tomatoes! Everything about tomatoes in included–history, current news, growing tips, recipes–anything you can think of, you’ll find it at Tomato Casual. And if you can’t, send an email and ask!

   LegalZoom is a legal services website co-founded by Robert Shapiro of OJ Simpson trial fame; they have an articles section on the website and a newsletter, and that’s where I fit in, writing about anything from celebrity legal news to writing wills to criminal law concepts. I love “translating” legalese into normal English for readers–plus I get to use my law degree so that’s fun too.

   I have been actually been writing for both of these since they started (LegalZoom began publishing articles in 2004 and Tomato Casual in 2007); I simply can’t pick a favorite.

6. Q: If my readers followed only one link to your blog, what post would you have them read?
   A: Where I’m From (Inspired by George Ella Lyon). That says *a lot* about me.
   [Editor's Note: Yes it does and I love that page. It's one of those that makes me think, "Dang, I wish I'd thought of that first!]
7. Q: You admit on your blog that you are a former attorney. Personally, I think that admitting that is a bolder move than admitting your real name. I know that you must have a collection…so, what is your favorite “lawyer joke?”
   A: OK, my absolute favorite lawyer joke is a bit raunchy, so please cover your eyes if you think you might be offended.

   I warned you!

   What’s the difference between a prostitute and a lawyer?

   The prostitute will stop screwing you when you’re dead.

   Ba-dum-bump.
   [Editor's note: Talk about scr***d! Some school principal who was thinking about hiring me is going to read this, and I'm going to be sh*t out of luck! But, it was a lawyer joke, which is by definition obscene!]

8. Q: Is there anything else you want my readers to know about you or your blog?

   A: Just that I truly appreciate anyone who takes the time to read what I’ve written and especially those who comment or email to let me know that something has touched them or made them think, feel, remember, etc. When I started my blog in December 2006, I never imagined that it would grow into a community, but that’s what it feels like to me, and it feels wonderful.

   Thanks so much to you, Shelly, for helping me get the word out about Italy Mag. Those who have read my blog know that I love Italy, but I am so excited to share this passion with a wider audience…and here you’re letting me reach even more people. As we say in Italy, Shelly, “Sei grande!” You’re the best!

My pleasure, and thanks for taking time to answer, Michelle. Here’s wishing you the best of luck in your new writing adventure! I’ll be looking forward to reading what you have to say (thank God it’s in English!).

I feel so un-American! In fact, I feel like an alien being from some planet in another galaxy.

Right now, people the whole world over cry tears of joy, their spines tingle with anticipation, they shriek with excitement as their eyes turn to China for the Olympic Games. I’m crying. My spine tingles, and I shriek with agony as my eyes turn to the TV Guide.

“What? No Howie Mandel?”

Not really. I don’t watch that show with Howie Mandel (can’t even remember the name of the show and am too lazy to Google it). Howie isn’t funny since he shaved his head.

But, y’all get my drift: The Olympics means to me that prime time television is even worse than it usually is. If I turn on the television, I’m bound to see a bunch of people running and jumping over things. I can go to Macy’s Christmas sale to see that.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I admire the fact that athletes have trained diligently to compete against one another. Their persistence and dedication is remarkable. I admire folks who train for spelling bees, too, but that doesn’t mean I want to watch it.

There is a television commercial for the Olympics that plays footage of the injured athlete from Tanzania, John Stephen Akhwari, who finished last in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico, “but he finished.” Yes, that sends chills up my spine. It could be because of Morgan Freeman’s voice over (I love his awesome speaking voice), but it’s not. I’m in awe of Akhwari’s dedication. He told reporters, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start a race, they sent me to finish it.”

“Oh, yeah, that gets me right here,” she says, as she thumps her heart. I can’t help but cry when I think about that. Akhwari’s feat isn’t the only inspirational one of the Olympics, and I don’t mind watching those. I’d be tickled pink to watch the highlights of the Olympic games. I just don’t want to be bombarded with the rest of it.

Y’all may know that I’m from Texas, and think it odd that I am not a sports fan. The Texas National Sport is football, and it’s almost blasphemy to tell you that I dislike football. I don’t mind if people play it, but the money spent on it astounds me. School districts in my home state think nothing at all of cutting the budget for the library, but by golly they are gonna have that new football stadium! Funding athletics instead of education offends me.

I feel that way about the Olympics. A lot of money goes into these games…and for what? China is spending billions to re-vamp Beijing so they can show off their culture. That’s not going to change the quality of life for the poverty stricken people living behind the walls that were built to hide them.

Countries all over the world spend millions to train athletes and send them to these games. Why? So we can all come together as one in a common cause? “One World, One Dream?” Give me a break. Let’s dream about peace, and can’t we just sit down and talk?

I respect your right to go beserk over the Olympics. But, I still rue the money being spent. It could be spent to improve education and quality of life instead. That would make tons of difference for millions of people, instead of a chosen few who get to wallow in glory because they have muscles.

Heck, even the television stations are spending money to promote these Olympics. That’s the money I resent the most. Seems like they could put their cash to work for better prime time programs, so I don’t get stuck watching Howie Mandel.

[I know that some of you are going to have something to say about this. Go ahead and blast me. I have on my flame retardant panties and brassiere...and I have a "delete" button.]