A writer's life

If I were half as good at talking as I am at writing, I wouldn't write. Or at least I wouldn't feel that I must write to keep my integrity intact.

For me, writing is hard work, full of small but crucial choices and subject to my inner critic's most harsh comments--rarely do I like what I write when I write it. The best moment for me as a writer happens years after I write something, when I run across it, read it and think, "that's not so bad."

Writing is my best means of communication, both inner and outer. Since I was a child, I've written my thoughts, ideas and reactions to my life, first as a journal and later as articles, essays and books. Writing is what I do to sort out my own inner life; I didn't expect to find that other people would be able to appreciate my written experiences and use them in their lives, too. This is a great bonus. But in truth, I would write if no one ever read what I write, because it is a necessary process for me to come to grips with the world around me.

photo by Hannes Grobe

I offer my writing to the world in the hopes that people will find some of what I say entertaining when they need a break, or helpful when they need some advice.