I was terribly quiet as a child.
I determined early in my teen years (when I was able to analyze myself a little) that my odd combination of self confidence and shyness did not give most people a good impression of me. I’ve always been quiet, but not in a timid, self-conscious way. I just prefer to sit back and quietly observe.
My mind, unfortunately, works quite a bit faster than my tongue, and I consistently find myself coming up with the ideal response or the perfect comeback long after a conversation is over. So I chose to be quiet.
Because I often had a hard time expressing myself with my voice, I had to find another way to get all of my ideas, emotions, and opinions OUT. I might have been quiet, but I always had so much to share, and it drove me crazy when I couldn’t adequately express what I was thinking and feeling.
I started keeping a journal when I was 8, and continued journaling regularly until after I had kids. I began writing stories and poems a short time later. I found my voice through the written word.
When I liked a boy at school, I wrote him a note.
When my best friend and I had an argument, I wrote her a letter with my grievances.
I was an avid pen pal, developing long-distance relationships with other kids that I had only met once.
When I became a mom, I started scrapbooking and kept a picture-and-story history of each of my children as I watched them grow from baby to big kid.
I wouldn’t have known it back then, but I was preparing all my life to be a blogger. This is what I do. I write. I express. I share.
I found my voice many years ago through the written word, but it wasn’t until I began blogging that my voice could be heard by others.
And I love that.
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I am so glad that you found your voice because I love reading your blog!!!
I am so happy to see you (at least the blogging type of “see”). It’s fun that we have so much in common – I felt that from the beginning. Did you see my post yesterday about being a cub scout den leader? Have you done that, too? ;)
It’s been a while since I’ve left a comment here, but it’s posts like this one that remind me that you and I have a lot in common. Besides being another LDS mom of 5 living in the DC area, I too have always kept a journal, had several penpals, and in general expressed myself in writing better than I ever could vocally. I haven’t taken blogging as far as you have, but even still I can’t imagine my life without having my blogs as outlets.