Words

The Blogging 101 task of identifying your audience could have gone so many ways.  I have ended up with new ways to present some of the stories spinning around in my head, which has boosted my confidence and my draft list, but leaves me still wondering about my dream reader.

Truth is, I want to write, and I want to be read.  I want to connect with people and find common ground to converse about, but also learn new things, have my mind opened, be inspired to expand my experiences, see how others are finding joy in life and how they are coping with life’s struggles.  I want my words to be a positive influence for others as much as I want to find positive influences in the words of others.  I want to be a contributing party in this world of words.

My high school English teacher told me, “You are college material, you’re going to be a writer.”  I didn’t go to college, in fact, I dropped out of school three days in to my Senior year.  I didn’t hold on to the paper that produced the words of encouragement from my teacher, but, I held on to his words.  Now, nearly 30 years later, I can see those words as an important link in how I got here.  It was a solidifying moment for my dream of becoming a writer.

A very helpful counselor said to me, “The more important question is not where have you been but, where are you going now?” in answer to my questions of the ‘why’ of my life, and is another example of how words have impacted me.  It was the beginning of understanding the need to process the past while still moving forward.  The road has been tough.  Shadows of the past tagged along and new things to process hitched a ride along the way, but I’m still moving forward, and I’m drawing on all of it to become a better writer.

These final words came, not long ago, from another teacher and aspiring writer.  “You deserve to be read.”  They didn’t stem from a classroom setting, but from one of those new things to process, which has turned in to a positively changed life and a dear friendship.

So, have I identified a dream reader?  I’ll let you decide, and leave you with a song, a tribute to the men of golden words who brought light into my darkness…

Who Am I? Why Am I Here?

My gravatar reads, “Simple, yet complex. Aren’t we all?!? A resident of the Alaska Wilderness and Lover of Life. It has not always been this way, so I thank my God and my lucky stars to be here sharing stories, and reading yours…Therapy :-)”…I still like it, it’s the truth.

Who am I?  I am a 45-year old woman who spent most of her life wishing she was not alive, and I am a woman who has been delivered from that state of mind.  Why am I here?  Writing has always been important to me, a much needed release.  After some BIG changes in my life, I decided to feed my love of writing by participating in a couple of writing workshops and eventually starting my own blog.  I have stories to tell and photos to share, but started feeling overwhelmed when trying to decide what to do next.  Sometimes I need a little structure, sometimes I need a little help.  I’m hoping to beat those overwhelming feelings and create a better blog through my participation in the blogging 101 course.