I came to a realization yesterday, and for some reason, it really did take me by surprise.  After thinking more about it, I probably should not have been as surprised as I was.  Unfortunately, I have never been the most self-aware.  So what was this huge epiphany I had yesterday?  I love to write.

See?  It should not be as jaw-dropping a realization as it was.  I have been blogging for almost sixteen months now.  In addition, in the past year, I have championed, established and continue to edit my company’s monthly newsletter.  I have kept a journal off and on since I was about ten years old, but in the past year, I have become much more diligent about putting down my thoughts and feelings on paper.  All the signs were there for me to realize this affection for writing, but somehow I missed it.

So what finally caused the light bulb to light?  I realized that I am want more.  I want to write more about items that interest me.  Do I have what it takes to write a daily column?  Is it something I want to consider?  I had/have that gig with Examiner.com, but I feel that I pretty much exhaust books and literature on my blog.  Besides, I have to write about local events now, and there really is not all that much in the way of literary events around here.  So, what else can I do?

Writing a novel is out of the question.  I have absolutely no desire to write one.  I can write research papers all day long (if given enough time to research), but pull a story out of thin air and make it interesting for others?  Not so much.  The thought actually has less appeal than trying to scrounge up enough local event information to actually write an article for Examiner.com.  Still, I have visions of “going to work” each morning – grabbing a huge mug of coffee from my kitchen and rustling the dogs upstairs to keep me company in my office while I sit down at my laptop to start writing.  Writing what I still have to find.

How do people go about finding jobs that allow them to work from home?  How do you get a daily column?  As I continue to blog and edit my monthly newsletter, I realize I am happiest when I write.  Editing the newsletter is some of the most enjoyable aspects of my job; I look at the newsletter hanging up on bulletin boards and feel a profound sense of accomplishment and pride that “I created that.”  As I progress with my blog and my newsletter, I find myself finding excuses to pull out a pen and write anything – recopying recipes, extra journal entries, journaling book reviews, lists, notes, and so forth.  The image of working from home is so strong at times that I find it somewhat difficult to actually go to work some days.  Unfortunately, I just do not know how to make the dream come true. 

So, I will continue to blog and write and will start to research other outlets for my writing.  If any of you have any ideas, helpful hints, directions, links, or any other advice to help me make the dream come true, I am all ears.  If this dream actually comes true, I will forever be in your debt!