Welcome to my world

Tentative. Probing. Testing.
Smiling.
Anticipating.

It started with FaceBook. No, it started long before that. For as long as I can remember, I've been filled with feelings and thoughts. For many years, they were bottled inside. I guess over these past 50 years, I've realized it is important for me to SHARE and EXPRESS my thoughts and feelings. I chose journalism as a major in college by default. (I was good with words and didn't really want to be a teacher.) Largely due to my fear of change, writing and editing have become my lifelong career. They are also a passion.

Trying to meet deadlines -- and keep it short -- derailed the writing part of the career. So now the paycheck comes for copyediting, headline writing and a limited amount of page design. Even as an editor, my favorite part of the process is working on stories, talking to the people (in this case the reporter or another editor) to consider ways to make the stories the best they can be.

The urge to write never leaves. Neither does the inability to deal with deadlines and the myriad story possibilities and angles a reporter faces. That reality is confirmed every time I give in to temptation and volunteer to write a review or some other piece for the paper.

When I joined FaceBook recently to help stay in touch with family members, something about the power of written expression was rekindled within me. Framing thoughts into phrases or sentences and then posting them -- publishing them -- invigorated me. And when FaceBook friends commented .... wow!

I've had to ask myself: Is this a blessing or a curse? I've asked the question prayerfully, and so far, the answer is that it's a blessing. And so I've started what is a new adventure for me.

It's possible nothing will show up on this blog that will be of interest to anyone other than the writer.

But it's also possible something will emerge that is worth the time and thought of a reader.

I look forward to finding out.

Simple goals:
Post at least one thing each week.
Feel free to go back in and edit. (That's what I love about this so far!)
See where it leads.
Give the glory to God.