About Me

For various reasons, especially security, I prefer to publish anonymously – for now. But I do want to tell you a little about myself – information more useful to you than my name.

A Curious Child

I have always loved learning. As a child, I would be sprawled out on the living room floor for hours, pouring over encyclopedia pages. It was fascinating, and I gained a lifelong appreciation of, and thirst for, knowledge. I also had artistic talent and considered going to art school. Lest you jump to the conclusion that I grew up in a privileged home with highly-educated parents, let me tell you that I was raised by a single, working-class mother in a small rural community. My intellectual pursuits were something innate, something I had to fight for.

An Ivy League Education

Thanks to some mentors who saw my potential, I attended an Ivy League university (on financial aid & student loans), studying Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and African-American Studies. My graduate program included Organizational Behavior and Evaluation Research, where I honed my investigation skills. Evaluation Research is a field dedicated to research methodology – both quantitative (statistics) and qualitative (stories, observation). This field grew out of a need for social intervention programs (like Head Start) to provide evidence of effectiveness, especially for securing government grants.

Early Career: Jane of All Trades

After graduating college, I went to the nation’s capitol to change the world. However, being single and saddled with student loans, my choices were limited. The salaries of entry-level jobs on The Hill were abysmally low. I went back and forth between non-profit and corporate jobs, learning as much as I could from every experience. My roles as legal secretary and executive assistant provided tremendous opportunities to study organizational dynamics first-hand.

Some of my jobs were more aligned with my professional aspirations. I wrote fundraising letters for non-profits. I worked on a gubernatorial campaign. I was a research associate at an institute specializing in workplace diversity, publishing papers and presenting at conferences.

A Solid Career in IT

Eventually I settled into a career in Information Technology as an IT Business Analyst. This involved reviewing business processes, developing & documenting software requirements and writing end-user training materials. The work was a great fit for my analytical and writing skills; I enjoyed it and was good at it, receiving many rewards and commendations.

Then Came the Pain

Over 15 years ago, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a disorder characterized by widespread chronic pain and fatigue. The cause is still unknown, treatments marginally effective, and there is no cure. I continued working for many years (telecommuting helped), but eventually the negative impact of my condition on my work and life became too great. Reluctantly, I applied for disability. I had always scoffed at people on disability, considering them weak. But as is often the case, you really cannot understand another’s pain until you’ve been there yourself.

New Hope: Launching My Blog

My creative urges never ceased though. It has taken many years of slow progress, but I finally launched this blog. The topics – Healing, Politics, Spirituality and Inspiration – are common, but I believe my perspective is unique. Time and again over the years, friends and colleagues have commented on my astute thought process.

Of course, you will have to judge for yourself. All I desire is to enjoy the creative process, put my work out there, and hope that it makes a difference. I am just grateful for the opportunity to try, and thankful for your visit.