Laura Smith Writer

How to Train a Cat

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Sorry, that was a joke. I have four cats. I love my cats. That being said, I must say that they have taught me numerous valuable lessons. Did you know that it is not cool to have possessions anywhere near a flat surface? That includes shelves, tables, desks and counters. Maybe it messes up the feng shui of the house, as mine are constantly rearranging my living space. Maybe I have bad taste, I did think that the ceramic statue of the Buddha looked nice on my writing desk, but alas, it is now in a drawer. It no longer has hands or feet, and a big chunk of his head broke off after my angels made their opinion known. I also now know that meditation is best done in chaos. I cannot complain. For the most part they are quiet all night, unless there are insects milling about. They do like to party when I sit down and close my eyes and try to go to a peaceful space and focus on my breath. Maybe they are placing me on the fast track to enlightenment, if I can stay still while a game of catch is going on at 5:30 am, then I can handle anything. Life is supposed to be fun. Just play in an empty box or bat a milk cap around and you will see just how good it can be. I guess today I need to lighten up, play a little more, lay off the catnip, watch the birds, and take a nap. All that advice for a can of cat food, not bad.

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● 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. 

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