Proceed With Caution!

For those of you who have not yet read my prior post, you may want to turn the car around and and double back in order to get your bearings before continuing on into this construction zone.

Caution!

Joline is currently under construction.

Work will commence today, April 10, 2008 with the groundbreaking of a new road. Expect delays. Road work will include sharp curves, detours, wrong turns, roadblocks, equipment failures, potholes, and the unavoidable fallen tree branch or two. Reader should proceed with caution as this road will not be smooth, or straight, or mapped, for that matter. Readers should also be warned that this road work has no exact course, no defined direction, and no concrete destination. Completion date at this work zone is undetermined.

Reader will also experience the open road, vast valley's, insurmountable mountains, dark forests, sunrises, sunsets, fields, big sky, streams, storms, scenic overlooks, and plenty of surprises along the way.

Reader is responsible for their own coffee and snacks.

Stops at rest areas will be plenty.

This is not my first journey down this road. In 2001, I had a writing binge. I had two articles published, one for One City, a publication for the Chicago Council on Urban Affairs, and for Access, a publication of the American Dental Hygienists' Association. One of my personal stories made it to the top 10 in a competition to be included in A Cup of Comfort for Teachers, and my favorite piece, written soon after Harper was born describing my struggle to juggle the world of motherhood and acting, has not yet found a home.

Why didn't I continue writing?

Fear, that I should be doing something that is steady and reliable. (Motivated by money.)

Fear, that I should be acting. I mean, after all, I was an actress, so shouldn't I be acting, rather than writing? (One must live according one's label, right?)

Fear, that I wouldn't know how to get other writing gigs. (So why even try?)

Fear, that I wasn't truly a good writer. (Starting with self doubt. Good plan.)

Fear. Fear. Fear. Fear.

So, I stopped the car and turned back around.

This time, I have a solid purpose behind me. I have the desire to use my creativity, not merely for benefit of self, but also for the benefit of my family. Prior to this, I was just dabbling. I was playing. Now, I see that I can truly make this a concentrated effort, and that this effort can serve as an inspiration to both my personal growth, AND add to the quality of our family's life together.

This CAN be a reality.

I think I need a hard hat.

Do they come in pink?