Writing

The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought. This in turn makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our equilibrium. -Norbet Platt

This blog is written in a very casual format. Its purpose is idle chatter, sometimes silly, sometimes serious, sometimes cheeky, very typically scattered, with commentary on whatever I'm thinking about on a given day. Behind the scenes and in other spaces, I have always been serious about writing.

I kept paper journals growing up and through college. Although raw, as journals tend to be, they were well-written accounts of everything of consequence that happened in my day, along with my thoughts and feelings about it all. (I wish so much that I still had them!)

I was a sports writer for my high school newspaper, and also a very prolific poet and song writer during my teen years. A humorous Christmas poem I wrote at age 16 was published in a Houston entertainment magazine.

As an adult, I've written three-and-a-half novel-length stories and several short stories. I have participated in fun writing challenges with friends on the web. I've also written many song parodies and a couple of new songs. I write a portion of the web content for three websites. As some of you know, I have been talking for years about writing a musical, although somehow it never seems to be the right time for it. I will get to it.

I just found out that one of my former coworkers has a blog. I've known her for years as a highly successful business woman, a manager with a particular talent for hiring people with great ideas and letting them run with them. She's a no-nonsense, get it done sort of person at work, with little time for water cooler chit chat. Well, her blog is amazing. It's extremely personal and engaging, with true stories about her life and honest, sometimes heart-wrenching observations. Her writing is flawless. I was so moved I sent her a note about it. Turns out she has a journalism degree. Who knew! She's going back to writing now, after decades of being fairly removed from it.

"It's therapeutic," she told me.

That it is. :)

So this post is to all the aspiring writers, former writers and closet writers out there. Write! For yourself or for others. Be funny or serious. Something long or short. Publish it in a blog, on a message board or Facebook for everyone to see, or share it with one special person... or no one at all. You will be glad you did.