Five Years a Writer

December 31, 2024: Slow down… Many, many years ago, a new friend asked me what I did, and I replied, I am a writer. She laughed, right to my face, and said, But you don’t write! After a second of stunned silence, I realized she was right. I did ‘do’ writing at my job but outside of work I didn’t do much of it. Today, that exchange remains vivid in my mind for both its sharpness of tone and clarity of vision — not mine, but my friend’s. Her blunt statement shattered my self-delusion and, while it set me back, it also gave me a defined moment in time against which to respond and from which to build a different narrative. It’s taken several decades, but I am solidly there now. I no longer doubt my identity as Writer. The other day, after creating a collage that captures my intentions (~ resolutions) for the new year (see above), I went back through all the many collages I have created over the past six or so years. Many of them include encouragement and admonitions to write. Then, in May ...