Finding My Voice

  I think a lot about finding my voice which, in simpler terms, refers to what I want to focus on when I write. The problem is two-fold. First, I am interested and involved in a lot of things. Second, a lot of special interest areas overlap my life and I have a heart for all of them. I just don't seem to have the nerve to turn off all interest in some of those areas to write about one or a few of the others. This blog was formed primarily as an outlet for my writing as I made a very major life change. I moved into my grandparents' household with my two young sons and my parents. That's five adults and two children (then 1.5 and 4.5 yrs) in a single household. Everyone was getting older. My father, grandfather, and I were working together. I was getting divorced. We were expanding to create a company. It was the thing to do. It was (and, believe me, IS) crazy-making. Nevertheless, it was the best decision I've ever made. Being able to write about it here has been a great relief.

  Like I said, though, there are other things that spark my interest. Here they are in no particular order (I'm big on no particular order):

1. Being a mother.

2. Chromosomal disorders and/or special needs children (I have two. Emphasis on special. One is probably a musical savant. The other is, well, probably best characterized here except for the fact that he is wildly compassionate and artistic--not autistic).

3. Hiking. Though, lately I have become interested in an old idea my father had to take a month and canoe the  Boundary Waters. I don't really have a month and neither does he, but we can dream. Anything is possible after that first oil well, right?

4. Caring for family members with cancer (breast and prostate/bone). Baba is in remission at the moment but continuing hormone treatment and getting her new pair a week from tomorrow. Clanpaw started radiation for a lesion on his pelvis today and is taking high-dose ketaconazole for the prostate cancer. It has been a rocky roller coaster ride that continues to this day. I'd love to say we've had a wonderful experience, but frankly, we've had to fight tooth and nail every day for treatment that's simply humane. Ridiculous.

5.  I'm a divorcee. That is a topic no one ever really blogs about which is a pity because it's somewhat of a social, emotional, and spiritual abyss for many.

6.  I have health problems of my own if we're just listing things to brainstorm, but I really don't care about those as long as I'm alive. Seizures and Crohn's disease. Pain in the rear, mostly.

7.  Music. Love it.

8.  Outdoors. Love that, too, but my work and educational lifestyle virtually cancels that out unless you include the walk to the garden and back to harvest and move the sprinklers (which I don't).

(pause to consider other writing prompt-related interests)

9. Faith/religion?

10. Medicine. Current area of study, future area of work.

  See. In list form, it all gets very, very, very, very antiseptic and dry. I could add techno stuff, but it's like Sominex to go any further. The only thing that is good about my blog is me, I think. That, and the weird things that happen to me.

And the laundrettes. So, normal stuff tomorrow. No more soul searching.
Scat