Introductions

I've always wanted to be a writer. Now that I've created this blog, I know at least part of the reason I'm having such a hard time writing...I'm terrified of revealing myself. I'm afraid I'll be judged for my beliefs. I'm worried that what I have to say no one will want to read. Well, I'm going to chance it. After all, what's the worst that could happen?

I've always thought my first book would be called, The Long Road Home. It is going to be a book of essays, or short pieces, about my search for myself...my authentic self...the person I was meant to be when I arrived on this planet. Most of us have been conditioned by parents, society, and thousands of years of civilization, to be people who "fit in" to this physical realm in an acceptable manner. We are women, men,wives, husbands, daughters, sons...you get my drift. These roles allow us to function in this world. It is from these perspectives that we get to enjoy what this life has to offer. And, its offerings are varied and oh so sweet. A question to ponder... If life is so sweet, why are so many people so very unhappy? Perhaps, there is more. Maybe there are other realms to be explored.

In the meantime, I'd like to tell you a bit about myself. I was born and raised on Long Island. I lived there for 39 years. One day, I decided I was going to visit New Mexico. The idea just popped into my head, or did it? That's a question for another time. Anyway, I decided to go on a vacation to check it out. I'd only been on one other big trip - a cruise to Bermuda. I'd never flown and, quite frankly, was terrified of being cooped up in a giant soup can for any length of time. I went to work one day and told my friend I was going out west. She said she'd go with me. We planned a trip to New Mexico. We went to Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos. By the time we were halfway through the trip, I'd decided to live there. I spent the next year researching cities, towns, and villages by mail. I received brochures from all the counties in New Mexico. Each brochure contained small pictures, or "snippets," of selected places. Well, I got this pamphlet from Colfax County. It gave information about Raton, Springer, Maxwell, and Cimarron. The picture of Cimarron showed mountains and a few tiny,white specks. I decided right there and then that that was where I was going to live. Crazy, huh? The next summer, I visited Cimarron. I connected with a realtor, and the next summer, I moved to New Mexico. I lived there for fourteen years. I met my husband there. I buried half of my mother's ashes in the Mountain View Cemetery in Cimarron.

This past August, my husband and I moved to southern Colorado. It was time to move to a place that offered more amenities. An all day trip to the movies, or the vet's office was wearing thin. I will never regret living in Cimarron. It is a wild and beautiful place. Actually, Cimarron means wild, untamed. I hope to share some stories in my blog from my time in New Mexico, as well as my time in New York. Of course, my new home will also figure into my posts, as will all the other things of interest to me.

Well, it's time for bed...gotta get up early for work tomorrow. In thirty-five days, I'll be a "free woman" for the summer. Teaching has it's perks!