Greetings, Dear Readers!
Long time, no write. My apologies for that.
I must confess. I have felt pulled in far too many directions between my 'day job' of almost 32 years, my modeling, my Avon and DōTerra, my volunteer work, and my family for far too long. A couple of my relatives have said that I need to cut back, especially since my fibromyalgia diagnosis some years ago. When I broke a hip in 2018, the world would have gone on, but I kept trying to do the bare minimum of everything, eventually returning to full-tilt trying to do it all.
Then, 2020 and the pandemic arrived.
The world shut down. Sort of. Kind of. Well not really. I will be forever amazed at the businesses that were classified as essential. Reminds me of when my late mum would ask me if I really needed a particular toy, or if I just wanted the toy.
Some countries shut down. Others sort of shut down. All made their best efforts in their own ways with the information they had on hand at the time.
Here in the USA, I was requested to stay home in the beginning because of my lifelong asthmatic lungs. This was days after we'd joked about those hoarding toilet paper. All of a sudden, I was one of millions. At home. An unknown tick on the list of statistics for an entire globe. Wow.
I couldn't sit around and I truly deplore housework (dusting makes me sneeze anyway). On a lark, I signed up for an online writing course, deeply discounted because of the pandemic. I loved it (the writing course, not the pandemic)!
Childhood dreams of becoming a writer filled my middle-aged noggin. An opportunity appeared on my social media news feed -- a dear friend, a writer herself, made invitation for a collaborative book. I said, "YES!" The adventure was truly underway.
I returned to my day job after a couple months with all of humanity trying to social distance, wear masks, and not catch any covid germs. That winter I heard of no one having a cold or the flu. Seriously? (But that's a topic for another day.)
Through the end of 2020 and into the year of 2021, I kept writing, and going to work, and writing. By the end of 2021, I am proud to say I've been published in four (4) collaborative books!! I've been blessed to have 3 articles published in a global magazine, published out of England! And, I'm now an official 'calendar girl'! My month is April in a digital 2022 calendar with 365 days of tips! (Link on LINKS page also,)
(I'll post a link to all 4 books on the LINKS page of this site.)
Staffing changes at my day job caused me to look at my life and my long-term goals. I have worked in that office for almost 32 years with one of my dearest friends. I have made new friends there, in our small office, over the decades, and I have seen some leave for amazing opportunities and/or retirement. Deep in my soul, I think I believed I would work in that office until the owner retired someday, that I would be there until the very end.
As I watched changes in the world around me, in our very commonwealth/state, and in our little town, I realized it was time for me to leave and cut a new path for myself. I wish my colleagues nothing but the very best, but my time to exit had arrived. So, in October, I had 'the talk' with my friend and she couldn't have been more supportive! I said I would be available until year-end if she needed my help in transition.
I got sick Christmas weekend in 2o21 (3 covid tests, all Negative thankfully) and didn't get the last of 'my things' sorted before year-end. Being the good person she is, I let my 'boss lady' know and I will be in one more day in the near future, just to tidy up my leftovers.
I am blessed abundantly with the 32 years, having watched the business grow to the point of relocating to our own building. I am blessed for the invaluable continuing education, professional associations, friends made, work experience, new technologies learned, and so much more.
With the advent of 2022, there are new projects in the works! New books, new articles, volunteer work, and more time with my beloved husband.
Did I mention my husband retired almost 10 years ago at the behest of his medical professionals? Agent Orange continues to slowly beat up all our Vietnam Veterans, and now is the time for me to work more for myself and my family.
I hear people and see memes in social media that say, "God, why didn't you give me a sign?" That questions is usually posed After the questioner has missed a big opportunity. Seeing the changes over the past years of global pandemic, I am confident that I saw the sign.
The sign is telling me to go, to write, not to be silent, to share words of wit, words of God, words of humanity, words of creativity. I shall do my very best. I shall write. I pray I write the right words that others need to read.
Join me on this new journey.
--Rita
Long time, no write. My apologies for that.
I must confess. I have felt pulled in far too many directions between my 'day job' of almost 32 years, my modeling, my Avon and DōTerra, my volunteer work, and my family for far too long. A couple of my relatives have said that I need to cut back, especially since my fibromyalgia diagnosis some years ago. When I broke a hip in 2018, the world would have gone on, but I kept trying to do the bare minimum of everything, eventually returning to full-tilt trying to do it all.
Then, 2020 and the pandemic arrived.
The world shut down. Sort of. Kind of. Well not really. I will be forever amazed at the businesses that were classified as essential. Reminds me of when my late mum would ask me if I really needed a particular toy, or if I just wanted the toy.
Some countries shut down. Others sort of shut down. All made their best efforts in their own ways with the information they had on hand at the time.
Here in the USA, I was requested to stay home in the beginning because of my lifelong asthmatic lungs. This was days after we'd joked about those hoarding toilet paper. All of a sudden, I was one of millions. At home. An unknown tick on the list of statistics for an entire globe. Wow.
I couldn't sit around and I truly deplore housework (dusting makes me sneeze anyway). On a lark, I signed up for an online writing course, deeply discounted because of the pandemic. I loved it (the writing course, not the pandemic)!
Childhood dreams of becoming a writer filled my middle-aged noggin. An opportunity appeared on my social media news feed -- a dear friend, a writer herself, made invitation for a collaborative book. I said, "YES!" The adventure was truly underway.
I returned to my day job after a couple months with all of humanity trying to social distance, wear masks, and not catch any covid germs. That winter I heard of no one having a cold or the flu. Seriously? (But that's a topic for another day.)
Through the end of 2020 and into the year of 2021, I kept writing, and going to work, and writing. By the end of 2021, I am proud to say I've been published in four (4) collaborative books!! I've been blessed to have 3 articles published in a global magazine, published out of England! And, I'm now an official 'calendar girl'! My month is April in a digital 2022 calendar with 365 days of tips! (Link on LINKS page also,)
(I'll post a link to all 4 books on the LINKS page of this site.)
Staffing changes at my day job caused me to look at my life and my long-term goals. I have worked in that office for almost 32 years with one of my dearest friends. I have made new friends there, in our small office, over the decades, and I have seen some leave for amazing opportunities and/or retirement. Deep in my soul, I think I believed I would work in that office until the owner retired someday, that I would be there until the very end.
As I watched changes in the world around me, in our very commonwealth/state, and in our little town, I realized it was time for me to leave and cut a new path for myself. I wish my colleagues nothing but the very best, but my time to exit had arrived. So, in October, I had 'the talk' with my friend and she couldn't have been more supportive! I said I would be available until year-end if she needed my help in transition.
I got sick Christmas weekend in 2o21 (3 covid tests, all Negative thankfully) and didn't get the last of 'my things' sorted before year-end. Being the good person she is, I let my 'boss lady' know and I will be in one more day in the near future, just to tidy up my leftovers.
I am blessed abundantly with the 32 years, having watched the business grow to the point of relocating to our own building. I am blessed for the invaluable continuing education, professional associations, friends made, work experience, new technologies learned, and so much more.
With the advent of 2022, there are new projects in the works! New books, new articles, volunteer work, and more time with my beloved husband.
Did I mention my husband retired almost 10 years ago at the behest of his medical professionals? Agent Orange continues to slowly beat up all our Vietnam Veterans, and now is the time for me to work more for myself and my family.
I hear people and see memes in social media that say, "God, why didn't you give me a sign?" That questions is usually posed After the questioner has missed a big opportunity. Seeing the changes over the past years of global pandemic, I am confident that I saw the sign.
The sign is telling me to go, to write, not to be silent, to share words of wit, words of God, words of humanity, words of creativity. I shall do my very best. I shall write. I pray I write the right words that others need to read.
Join me on this new journey.
--Rita
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