We had arranged a meeting to learn to crochet, but ended up talking the whole time.  She has a daughter who is attending Longwood University in the fall, and we discussed my memories from the time I was a student.  I told her I majored in therapeutic recreation, she asked if I am a therapist currently; I had to tell her that I had worked in the field doing activities for residents in a nursing home for nearly a decade and am writing.

Am I doing the right thing now?  I ask myself all the time; I wish someone could just give me a nod of approval or shake their head.  My goal is to give myself 5 years from the time I quit working a traditional job to finish a book, (although now I’m thinking that writing a book takes a lot more time) I am currently:

• WRITING

  • On my personal blog
  • my memoir
  • I have recently found out about the magic of journaling, and am very excited to search pinterest on topics to record my thoughts, short topics to include in my memoir writing, organizing blog post or just a log of what to have for dinners that week

• READING

  

  • It is my goal to complete reading 18 books this year and so far I’m on track!
  • I go to my local library with my 4 year old niece and with the little boys that I babysit,
  • After all you need to improve your vocabulary by reading to help with your writing, right?

• CARE GIVING

  • Babysitting my neighbors’ kids,
  • I prepare therapeutic recreational activities for them to do, we go to the movies, the library, do arts and crafts, and I help them with handwriting and numbers,
  • filling in for a care giver of someone who has early onset dementia,
  • my dog gets so much more attention now, and also provides fitness by taking him on long walks

• VOLUNTEERING

  • I am very active in my church,  helping with the Sunday school, Vacation Bible School and coordinating the Prayer Shawl Ministry
  • I am with the Trauma Survivors Network, visiting with patients in the Intensive Care Unit

• SOCIALIZING

  • I have a group that I weekly meet up with at a coffee shop, to knit or crochet (they are all my age, and not dorky, REALLY) and we get together to do other things like see movies
  • I meet up with my friends and neighbors
  • About once or twice a week, I go up to Starbucks to work on my writing with my friend, and we usually go out to lunch afterwards

• CREATING AWARENESS OF TBIs

  • What is a traumatic brain injury?  Through my blog I speak of my troubles and give tips on how I handle the problems that arise
  • I have gone to a high school and spoken about the resources that I used to help me learn with a disability and what happened in my car accident.

As you can see, I’m not just sitting here day after day watching TV and soap operas [although I do love me some Days Of Our Lives, but it’s not on an every day must see basis].

SO WHAT AM I DOING?  AM I DOING THE RIGHT THING, IS THIS JUST THE LIFE OF A WRITER?  I wish you would tell me, because I have no idea.