When I was about 15 my younger sister got me a NaNoWriMo kit because she wanted me to actually finish a story for once in my life. I loved to write, but I had a terrible habit of giving up when the plot got stuck. As I sat at my desk at work last week, looking at “monthly events” for our bulletin board, I saw the infamous “NaNoWriMo”. I took a subtle fork in the road and wound up three pages deep into National Novel Writing Month and reached their “sign-up” page. Was I crazy to think I could write the Great American Novel while studying Algebra and reading “To Kill a Mockingbird”? Maybe. Was I crazier to think I could do it while counseling individuals with barriers to employment? I thought so. I didn’t sign up. Challenge not accepted!
Weeks later, after my fiancé and I began to look at apartments and I slowly realized my “non-profit” jobs just wouldn’t help much in paying the bills I decided I needed to start looking at second jobs. The idea of commuting to another office space or standing on my feet another 5-8 hours just didn’t seem appealing. (Power to those who do it!) With NaNoWriMo in the back of my head I wondered if it was too late for me. And then, it hit me! Freelance could pay— hell, blogging could pay! I can write in short bursts. But who would pay me? I don’t have any guru tips or any more insight than the next “psych grad”. I can’t sell someone the winning lottery ticket. I have 0 talents worth sharing. So, what would I write about?
‘I could write about my life… Not!’
People wouldn’t want to read about my average Joe life—regardless of the extensive, royal bloodline of Joe-s in my family or the quantities of joe I force down my throat in a given week.
But somehow, the thought of ‘Maybe to even just one person, something I share or say could be relatable and help; help open their eyes, give them support, make them laugh, etc.’ After-all, plenty of blogs and forum writers have inspired me or made me feel less alone. Who was to say I couldn’t potentially give the same to someone else. In that moment, I decided I would give it a shot. Even if it never helped Squilliam Fancyson (the loving nickname, given to my fiancé for very obvious reasons when you get to know us) and me pay a month’s rent or even put gas in our car, I would write. I won’t give up on myself or on my sister’s dream for me (even if this isn’t what she envisioned 11 years ago… Sorry!) Not this time.
So, welcome aboard the “SS Average JOE (kindly and coincidentally monikered, and short for “Joy of Experiences”)” ship and travel through the mini-triumphs and humiliating feats of life with me. I’ll share my relationships, my health (to an extent), my family (with respect to their privacy), my jobs, wedding planning, and more. Never be afraid to reach out; comment, ask, laugh, and share… The tides of life can change at any moment and the seas aren’t always going to be calm and pretty. But, there are enough life preservers in this world to go around if we just reach out.
This is as much about you and your needs as it is about me.