Worth Something After All

I do truly apologize for my month-long hiatus but hopefully when I tell you what I’m about to, you will understand that I have been busy…

Twelve years old. That’s how old I was when I was first published. Ever since then I have had my parents, brothers, several teachers, professors, relatives and friends all drilling it into me that I should become a professional writer. Even though almost everyone in my life has always told me I have a talent I never really believed them because I was unable to believe in myself.

I was a young girl when I started dreaming about becoming a writer. Of course I had other aspirations too and after I graduated high school I chased down those wild hares but I never succeeded at any of those things because I was never meant to do any of it.

We all have dreams, goals, fantasies…things that we want in life. Some of us will never attain any of it. Some of us will find we are better suited for a different path and new dreams will replace what it was we once thought we wanted. And for some of us those dreams we set out chasing after will come to pass.

If you’ve been following along with me from the beginning or if you know me personally you know that I currently work in a group home for adults with developmental disabilities. I think it is fair to say that, that job brought me back to life at a time when I was so unsure of who I was. Through these amazing people I learned a lot about the kind of person I want to be and I found myself.

Now, I am profoundly saddened that this week is my final week at a job I have come to truly love. As hard as it is for me to say goodbye I am also incredibly excited for my new endeavor. My dream of becoming a professional writer is coming true starting this week. I have been offered and accepted a job as a reporter at the newspaper in my hometown.

Of course I have to be honest and disclose that I am absolutely terrified of failing at this but I also know that if I do not take this risk it is one of the few things in my life that I will end up regretting. So onward I march into this massive entanglement of both self-doubt and self-assurance because deep down I know this is the only thing I was really ever meant to do. When you’re given a talent you cannot let it sit on the shelf. Use it. Let it flourish. Be the best version of yourself; that person you were always meant to be.

I realize that it sounds cliché but trust me when I tell you that your dreams can become reality. As long as you form a plan, work hard to see it through and take the risks necessary. Most things worth obtaining will never come without some effort.

For that I have all of you to thank. It has been one year since I started this blog. I did not know then that it would change my life in the way that it has. At first this all started because I wanted an outlet for my writing. I wanted to polish my skills and in the process I hoped that someone out there who needed some comfort would be listening.

I thought that if I could set a goal to publish at least once a week and then maybe if the opportunity for something bigger presented itself at the very least I would be able to put together a portfolio of my work. Without it, I would have had nothing to show the editor who hired me and it turns out that all of the rambling I did this year was worth something after all.