Monday, March 31, 2008

The Reasons we Write

21 years ago, nobody would have ever pegged me as a future writer. Not that I am an great writer now and many will certainly dispute that. As you will see, I am uncomplicated, make the occasional typo and omit a key word at times. Coming out of high school, I scored so low on the writing portion of the SAT, that I nearly had to take a Freshman remedial writing course. On my CBEST test that was the final qualification for a teaching certificate in Oregon, I barely passed. More than one administrator would have been justified with the expression "I am concerned about your written communication skills".
I fought through, getting by. In 17 years of teaching, my skills improved. I believe that maturity is one of the largest factors in developing writing skills. I have been fortunate in that I was able to teach others, which in turn made me think not only how to write, but also how to prepare for such an endeavor.
Most of all though, I am a life-long learner. I reach out to that which is new. Something that many people stop doing after their school years.
It is something I like, no, love to do. I have blogged in other locations as a form of exercise, like a cat scratching its claws. I wrote articles for newspapers and recently when my employer dropped me to half time, one of those newspapers offered me a part-time writing gig.
So this blog is about me and my day to day collisions with life and those that choose to live it more than the average person. Someone who loves to not just watch life go by, but someone that has to get in the way and feel it tactilely. Follow along and enjoy the ride!
 
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