Skipping A Few Milestones. . .

A friend asked me a question. His inquiry? What were your three milestones from 2013? We were days away from 2014, and often we find ourselves introspecting about the year. I mean, it’s inevitable. That damn tab on Facebook reminds you daily to look at your year in review.

I was stumped. As I usually am when someone wants to know something that seems so impersonal about you. Mostly because I tend to make these things, my introspection, my thoughts, my heart, so damn personal. And true to my fashion, I stuttered my way through the answer. Though the answer I will write with much more clarity and cohesion.

Because, those were my three milestones in 2013. Writing.

I was recognized professionally for my writing. I was revealed personally for my written work. I made my compositions public. And in that, I began peeling back another layer of me.

Professionally… While working at my previous institution, I was a member of one of our regional professional organizations. I used my membership in that organization to contribute (per Dr. Smith’s orders) to my field by writing a few publications. One article, inspired by recent student conduct related incidents, seemed to catch the attention of many professional colleagues. My Roommate Posted This About me on Facebook! was born from countless hours of reconciling the implications of social media behavior in the real “res life” world. Unbeknownst to me, that work was selected by the editing board for Article of the Year. My Residence Hall Directors came back from the conference with my plaque and congratulatory wishes.

This was not the first piece I’ve written professionally. It will not be the last. But it was then that I realized that when it comes to my career…I am indeed a writer. An award winning one!

Personally… So, I kinda maybe sorta wrote a book. I mean, my Mommie told me to do it. What is it? Hate you asked! I entitled the “book” I’m So Gurley (Girlie)…Pun Intended because I promised Richard Davis when we were in High School that if I ever (never) wrote a book, I would make that the title. I try to keep my word.

So the story written in that book…is just as disjointed as the author. Literally. Just as disjointed as her life. Knowing her, you would not want it any other way. It’s part of the charm. In the series of falls, late night duty calls and other epic failures, she managed a few successful minutes and a couple of achievements. She wished at one point in time for her life to be different, to be kinder, to resemble something of what she dreamed it would be. But it was harder, sadder, and lonelier than she could have ever imagined. Somehow, she laughed a little, loved a little more and lived it all.

Yes…the first personal publication I automatically wrote was the biography of a life I’m learning to live. I had been working on it for quite some time. It was not until 2013 that I had courage enough to share it. Share it in whole. Completely. With people who don’t automatically love me. I had no intention of that document making it past my internal hard drive.

So! I finished reading your work on the plane last night and it was great! I had no idea you were such a good writer with so many adventures! Lots of travel in and outside of the country and such an eclectic group of friends. Your motherly nature is very obvious in the young people you have worked with and even the men you have loved or have liked. That's a good thing and depending on who you nurture...well, you know. It read like a journal of sorts to me with different entries at different times. The themes were clear, though and that makes you a consistent writer. Thank you for sharing with me...it was my honor to read! I learned so much about you... #FMB

Publicly… Now this one? You would think that sharing an alleged book I maybe wrote is public, but it isn’t. It’s still a controlled environment in many ways. Yes I shared it with people who don’t have to tell me what I want to hear, but we have a trust that what I’ve shared with them, is for them. And them alone. So really, it’s still kinda personal. But say for instance you create, I don’t know, A Blog…and you entrust your inner thoughts to all of the internets in the world, then it’s kinda public.

There’s going to be many posts about running. Because another milestone (that I’ve reserved for 2014) is running! It’s Medal Monday! It’s 14 Start Lines, 14 Finish Lines and 14 Shiny Medals! And there is plenty to talk about when it comes to running. Eboogie (aka Alicia Keykey aka the real donut monster #nomnomnom) gave me three posts to begin working on already: “having big boobs”, “running with big boobs”, and my personal favorite, “using your boobs to provide a resting place for your friend’s head after running”. But anyone who knows my disjointedness knows that there will be a few tangents. Because life isn’t just about cosine’ing. There are sines, tangents, and 360 other degrees out there to graph.