On Writing

As long as I can remember I have always said I wanted to be a writer. When I was little, I had no idea what being a writer meant. Then I hit middle school and high school, I took literature classes and my first Journalism course. I was hooked. I never wanted to be Lois Lane. I thought that being a reporter meant that I could help people, right the wrongs I saw going on in society around me.

In 1995, I went off to Northeastern University in Boston where I attended the rather prestigious Journalism school. College taught me how to think critically and how to write like a reporter, but I also learned very quickly that it was a male dominated career path. And I began to see the nastier side of the media.

After college I wrote for newspapers dailies, weeklies and even a quarterly journal. I felt more pressured to please advertisers and town managers than to tell the trust or help the little guy. Life issues became more important than the almighty job. I lost my parents, I wanted to focus on marriage and family.

After my children arrived, I stayed home. Days were a whirl of dirty diapers, chasing toddlers and exhaustion. Still, I wrote. Instead of the latest trends in technology, I wrote nutrition and potty training articles for a newsletter.

Fast forward to the present, I am finally working for an independent newspaper with a boss I respect. I feel like we look out for the every day people, not just the elected officials. Last summer, we saw "Newsies" on Broadway. My younger daughter looked at me with respect in her eyes and said, "That's what you do Mom, right?"

My book published in December. Slowly but surely, it's gaining recognition and maybe even a hint of appreciation. Tonight, my older child said, "You're not famous yet Mom, maybe if you wrote something a little happier, less depressing."

I will never be Hemingway, but you know what, I'm ok with that. In my corner of the world, I try to make a difference and writing is my medium.