Oh, Pardon Me! I Didn't Mean You...

I keep wondering how much self monitoring is necessary here. There are situations that perturb me, occurrences that leave me reeling, people that say something that needs to be shared...and yet I feel myself holding back.
My family, most of them, know that I have a blog. They know I spend time here, writing and reading other people's blogs. I share comments I've read or touching blog posts so this blog world is no secret to those I love. Yet I don't think any of them read what I write. My husband is not a big reader; he doesn't have much interest in my musings. I figure he probably hears me talk enough that he has little interest in what I say in my head...I think the rest of the people who know I blog simply forget to ever check it out. What can I say, people are busy.
If no one I know reads what I write, why do I worry so much about whether someone will be hurt by my words? And I worry not just what I may write, but about what I may omit. If I write a post about how great this family member is, will this other family member get their feelings hurt? Or I think Even though they don't read my blog now, they may read it later. And if I write about X and they read about it later, I'm screwed.
I know I cannot be the only one worrying about this type of thing...
I suppose I simply believe in the power of words. They can lift you up, throw you down, rip your soul apart, crush your dreams, give you the power to try again, give you hope...
Written words are even more powerful. Once written, they are there. They are not subject to the vagaries of memory, if only because you can always go back and check the exact wording. So I am loath to put onto paper words that may in some form hurt someone. Particularly someone I am personally close to. So I will have to continue monitoring myself...And save my wild ranting and raving for my journal.