sometimes they gush and sometimes they dribble. Every day, every hour is different but there's no second thought. The words surge on.
Since I was a child, I've loved words and language and I've strived to increase and cultivate my vocabulary. I memorized the stories in the books my mother read to me, so I could "read" them back to myself. I was thrilled when I began learning to read on my own. From first grade on, I collected books - lots and lots of books. And I read them all, some many times.
I started writing my own words when I was in high school. I wrote poetry at first and it was pretty good. I had two accepted for publication in a small poetry journal, but it shut down before my work ever got printed.
I wanted to be a journalist. I knew I was meant to write and I could do it well. Other life circumstances forced a different choice of careers. I was okay with that but I still wanted to write.
In my early thirties, I became enamored with genealogy and researching my ancestors. That sparked a whole new kind of writing. Articles and newsletters, and finally, editor of the whopping 860+ page Reynolds Family Centennial Collection. Then, there was the manuscript in progress of the ancestry of my Wilkie family that will probably never be finished. I still update it every now and again.
I tried my hand at a few short stories over the years. They sat in a folder in my desk drawer. Once in a while, I'd take them out and read them, make a few edits and put them back again.
Then, I retired. And I met Norman. His message was perfectly clear. He told me his story so I could write it, publish it and get started on my second career - my life-long aspiration to write. I did just that.
I never strayed from my love affair with words and stories. Norman was my inspiration and my motivation, but my passion was always there. I am thrilled to be a writer, a published author, a purveyor of words, a teller of stories. It may have taken me a while to get here, but here I am and loving every minute of it!
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