Turning on the faucet

“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.”

- Louis L'Amour

It's funny; I spend most of my days demanding, urging, cajoling, inspiring, and pleading with teenagers to write. "Write what you know," I say. "Write what you want," I say. "Just write something," I'll plead. Students of all ages say that they have nothing to say and yet I know that that isn't true. I've always been in love with reading and writing, and yet I've never written anything for others. At age 30 with two masters degrees, three instruments, a teaching career, eight country visits, two small businesses, and a marriage under my belt, I've finally decided to listen to my own teacher voice and start writing.

But don't get the wrong idea.

This blog won't be a journal of my innermost thoughts, nor simply an extension of my floral business, Paper Perennial. For me, life is about balancing passions and practicality in an increasingly complex world, and this blog will feature my thoughts on how to do so. In doing so, I aim to discuss and delve into three main topics in order of prevalence: the wonderful, beautiful world of paper flowers, the life of a female small business owner and full time educator, and perhaps a little bit about literature, because I love it. I know there there are people out there like me who are constantly pushing their limits with hobbies, careers, and life goals. Some call us "workaholics," but I like to think of myself as a "lifeaholic." I've always wanted to squeeze every drop out of the time and opportunities that I have, and I've been blessed with many.

But I don't want to do this blog alone! Comments and feedback from my followers are so important to me. Ideas for future blog topics, feedback on how I'm doing, even requests for guest blogging. I'm not the only one with something to say on these topics. Hopefully, by this time next year, we'll have a community of strong women and men who can relate together about our passions for living full lives both professionally and personally.

One of my favorite new co-workers asked me yesterday, "Do you have the same number of hours in your day as the rest of us do?" It's true, I lead a pretty busy life, and love to do so. So you can expect a blog posting from me probably once a month during the school year, but hopefully more than that during the summers.

So, I'm glad I finally "turned on the faucet." I welcome you to join me as I share the opportunities that life has given me and explore all of the ones that are still on the horizons.

Sincerely,