JUST MARTI NEEDS TO TALK

I have enjoyed writing since grade school. In fifth grade I wrote a “book” titled Lost At Sea. I hid it inside my desk and was probably writing instead of paying attention during math. In college after turning in an essay on Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven I received a letter from the dean of the UWM English Department asking me to major in English. I briefly debated switching majors but stayed in the School of Social Welfare and got my degree in Criminal Justice. Years later, I still love the process of doing research, writing out my thoughts, rearranging sentences, using a Thesaurus and seeing the finished product.

About twenty years ago when I expressed an interest in writing as a possible stay at home career my husband bought me a word processor. I dug out an old journalism textbook and started to "write". That endeavor lasted maybe, a month?

As is often the case life got in the way. My husband went back to school for his bachelors’ degree and the word processor was put to good use when I typed his papers. This actually turned out to be excellent writing practice for me because the papers he turned in were very different from the handwritten drafts I was given to type. We also started the adoption process around this same time. Most couples have to wait a year or more for a baby but we beat the odds and brought home our two month daughter just four months after starting the home study. Our adoption story will be the topic of future posts.

After my husband graduated the word processor was rarely used and collected dust. The poor thing became obsolete when we got a computer. I continued to write but it was limited to journaling, composing letters at work and emails.

In addition to writing I love to talk. My job is perfect because I talk to people on the phone or in person all day long. I can easily strike up a conversation with a stranger at the store and my husband and daughter will tell you we're often one of the last to leave church or any other event because I'm in a deep conversation with someone.

Those of you who follow me on twitter know there are times my tweets aren't limited to 140 characters but more like 140 x 3 because I love to talk. My mom used to say I was a chatter box as a kid. When she was alive I'd call her at least once a day just to chat. I miss those calls so much and will be writing about her too.

I have a very strong need to verbalize my thoughts. When confronted with a problem some people may withdraw but I must talk through my troubles. I have to admit I do tend to dwell on things and repeat myself while working out an issue. While my obsessive talking may drive some people crazy it’s how I cope with life.

I’m excited to blog because it's a way to combine my love of writing and talking. In addition to adoption and my mom I have a whole list of topics I want to discuss on here. Sometimes I’ll pick a theme and just write about my thoughts and feelings. I’m also looking forward to researching an issue first and then writing. Okay (heavy sigh) I'm ready to hit the Publish button and send my first post soaring into cyberspace. There's no turning back now...