In grade school, I became obsessed with story-telling. I was always the girl at the slumber parties who got in trouble for keeping the other girls up too late talking. I was always the head-chief at campfires, spear-heading all of the other campfire tales. I “published” my first book when I was in Kindergarten and have piles of journals and notebooks, chronicling my entire elementary and high school careers. By high school, my passion turned into an all-consuming activity. In fact, I was so fanatical about writing that I stopped cheerleading in the middle of my senior year because I wanted to devote more time to my journalism hobbies. By then, I was the Editor of the School Yearbook and on the Newspaper Staff, writing my own, regular column. I contributed to the Marquette Writing Club and I actually looked forward to all of my Honor’s English classes. I even got so carried away with a short-fiction writing assignment that I turned a two-page story into ten and my teacher entered me in a Writing Contest at Stevens College – which I won!
By college, I had my heart set on turning writing into a career. I did not know how “real” authors made any money, so I decided that, given my high school experience, I would be a Journalist. I was accepted into Mizzou’s School of Journalism (then, one of the top three Journalism schools in the nation) and started my studies. The Program was challenging, but I loved it. What I did not love, however, was the structure of journalism. I could not write what I wanted; I had to write what I was told. I could easily create a news-worthy story, but my heart wanted to dive into fiction and, more importantly, to tell a story that would inspire others. Then, a tragedy made me question everything. Early in my college career, a few friends of mine from high school got into a fatal car accident. When I returned to Saint Louis to grieve with my friends, we were attacked by paparazzi who were all trying to get a story. I knew then that I did not want to be the person with the pad of paper, prodding into the lives of others just to get my Big Break. I wanted to help people, not bring them more harm or discomfort. I decided that the best transition would be for me to change majors; however, I never stopped writing.
Whenever I could, I took a writing class at Mizzou. One semester, I was taking both a Women’s Studies and a Poetry class when I learned of a Women’s Studies Scholarship Contest. Without telling anyone, I entered three poems – and I won! Not only did I win the contest, but upon accepting the scholarship, I also had to accept the responsibility of being a Guest Speaker for the Women’s Studies Program. This was when I first realized that I could write the way that I wanted and I could advocate for others at the same time. I was shy about my award, but honored at the same time. I did not picture myself as an Advocate, but all that was about to change. Embracing my role, I spoke at and read my pieces at numerous events led by the department. That contest re-ignited my love affair with story-telling and I once again started to believe that my writing could have a future.
When I started this blog two years ago, I did so because my Pain Counselor, Mark, suggested it. Mark knew that I loved to write, but I was not journaling “as much as I should” given my situation. I had never blogged before, but Mark filled me in on the advantages: I could chronicle my journey with pain-management; I could use the blog as an emotional outlet; and, most importantly, I could inform my family and loved ones about my recovery, progress and diagnoses. When I started the blog, I did not expect for people from all over the globe to read it. I did not anticipate that my passion for writing would open the doors for me to advocate for people who are in chronic pain, like me. I did not realize that there were so many people whose lives were affected by Invisible Diseases, looking for someone to guide them, speak for them and encourage them. But, this happened; it is happening.
When I learned that I would not be returning to work as a Special Education Teacher, I decided to take the blog to the next level. I had experienced such intense and inspiring interactions with Blog Readers that I realized that there is more to the story. And I want to tell it…
Keep reading – there is more to THIS story and I can’t wait to share with you my experiences while writing the book, “Taking Me Back!”
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