The very first one.

Someone at work once told me I was a good writer. I actually laughed out loud, and then this super cliche thing happened. I started thinking about how I did actually used to write back in ancient history - a.k.a high school. A true lifetime - 2 little lifetimes to be exact - ago. I would write these utterly ridiculous short stories about made-up heroines and romantic runaways, and then let my friends and family read them. I expected utter adoration, and dreamed of novel deals, and book tours, and practiced what I would say on talkshows. I spent hours at the computer typing away - yes in a pre-AI world my friends - we actually did have to type out our stories and use our brains to think of theme, setting, plot, character development, blah blah blah.

Now I try to sit here and think of what to type, and I see little "Imagine" buttons begging me to push them. "Improve your post's grammar and readability." Are you saying it's NOT grammatically correct or readable!? Rude. But also fair. I can't promise perfection or yes-I-actually-have-a-degree-I-promise level reading, but I can promise you one thing, friends. That "Imagine" button is not going to get me. I actually do and will hand-type this sh*t. Be it for posterity, my own sanity when I have time to myself, or using my own shame to allow all of you to commiserate - this is the realest of the real. (TOTALLY ignoring the fact that the photos you see are one-hundred percent AI.) I can write, but not illustrate.

If you didn't catch it on the homepage or in the first paragraph, I'll say it again. I am a Mom. Momster. Mamajama. MILF. (Okay maybe not the last one anymore.) And its taken me a long time to say "AND" after that sentence. I am a Mom AND.... I am a student, a caregiver, a wife, an employee, a small business owner, and now a writer if this counts. (IT FRICKIN COUNTS.) I actually love how that feels. To be able to say the word "and," because I promise I didn't used to be able to do that. But geez I am a dang SUPERHERO. (Too much??)

Let's commiserate and laugh together. And if you are anything like me and quite literally only have a second in between chaos, I'll do my best to keep it brief.

xoxo

Madi