I had an extreme moment of crankiness yesterday at the post office. I had received postcards from family and friends, sent from various world locations. Why do we send postcards anyway? Do we just wish to share a moment of our lives with loved ones (likely)? Or do we wish to rub their noses in the fact that we are in an exotic location and they are stuck at home or at work, bored to tears? Now I know that is not the purpose of a postcard. But it is a great way for me to gage my attitude and make a minor or major adjustment. Yesterday’s adjustment was major. Jealousy is a great way to uncover what you actually wish to accomplish in your life. A postcard comes from the streets of Lyon and your ears become green and ooze with slime? Put that on your own personal “Things to do before I die” list. Tear up the postcard from Lake George? Don’t waste your money. Stay home and sit in your backyard with an inflatable boat. So the postcards I received from everyone traveling the world yesterday saved me a hefty sum at the travel agency. I know where I want to go, thank you.
● About Me
I wrote and published my first blog post on May 26, 2009. I was about to turn 36 and had been accepted to Mount Holyoke College as a non-traditional student, on my way to completing a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in Medieval Studies. I had managed, finally, to know what general direction I was traveling. As a self proclaimed voracious reader I knew that I needed a vocation that would allow me to engage daily with words: reading words, writing words, and hearing words. I also needed to eat, so I navigated my way to a teaching position and I began to fine tune my craft. I love to teach and I love my students, but I also needed to continue to hone my own literary technique, voice, and style. I continued my education in order to delve deeper into literature, making connections, and most definitely, writing. I gained more confidence as a reader as well as a writer of both creative and analytical text. That first blog post in 2009 is short, the writing average, and the topic mundane, but as I continued to learn from other writers I began to understand that to become a better writer I needed to write more. Each time I write and release a poem, a post, or a story, I hone my skills. I invite you along for the ride, for this journey of mine as I attempt to wrangle a wealth of ideas and competing directions into an organized freshly paved path to publication. I might get distracted along the way, but sometimes those detours lead us to amazing views and new friends.
Laura Smith Writer 
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