Why I love this

First – the ass blog has been delayed – again. Sorry. Oh well, get over it. I have.

I've been asked to participate in something that will further demonstrate that I'm easily swayed and tend to "go with the crowd", despite what my psych profile says about me. Because I am trying to convince my parole officer that I truly do fit in with the general public, I'm going to do my blog tag like a good little citizen.

GARY tagged me, like a deer that he's hunted down. I now have to write something of a semi-serious nature. I believe the topic is something like 10 reasons I love writing, words, poetry, prose, songs, singing, dancing, food, drinking, drugs, and/or sex. But because that seems like such a broad topic, I took it upon myself to narrow it "Why I love writing, words & poetry." I will no doubt link songs, singing, food, drinking, drugs and/or sex into the mix (not so much dancing – as previously established, I don't do dancing.). And now, without further adieu, I'M IT!

1. Words are my pictures. When I write something, I tend to over do it. Directions for me are not "go about 3 miles and then turn left on Charter Rd.". For me, directions are "Go about 3 miles. You'll pass a Walgreens and then it will get kind of rural looking. You'll see a church on the left, but it looks more like a machine shed – all aluminum you know!. On the right, you'll see a Texaco. Now, you're three roads away from Charter. When you get to Charter Rd., you'll know because there is a big yellow barn on the right hand corner…" You get the picture? Exactly! You get the picture! You see it in your mind, and that's what I love about words. They can simply get someone where they need to go OR they can paint a picture of where one is headed, so you know what to expect when you get there.

2. Writing is the easiest way for me to let my thoughts out and analyze them. What I think about isn't all hearts and flowers. The things I write about, I really do think about. If someone takes that and finds it funny, that's great. If they find it's stupid, that's great too. My point? I hope that what I write someone finds something to take from it. It also helps me ground myself and focus on the more important thoughts.

3. Words have power. They can hurt, heal, impress, depress, console, cheer, scare, secure, anger, please, excite, invite, you name it. If you can feel it, words can create it. And not everyone will see every word in the same way. And your reaction to a word will change depending on who says it or writes it. Here's an example: If Gary writes a blog entitled "Fluids" you probably think it's about wine of beer. If Swilly writes it, you KNOW it's beer. If I write it, you assume is sperm or girlie-juice. What power that gives to the words!

4. When I'm angry or disappointed, words can be typed into my computer. They can then be deleted before they hurt anyone. And I feel better for letting them out and can deal with what has angered or disappointed me without flying off of the handle.

5. Words, writing, and more importantly reading written words of others have accounted for hours upon hours of my enjoyment. Whether I'm transported to the world of Shannara with Terry Brooks, laughing at how my life seems to parallel Laurie Notaro, or investigating the horrible crimes perpetrated by the likes of Gacy, Berkowitz, Dahmer, Bundy, (the list goes on). When I read, for a few hours I am not a wife or a mother, working in a 7:30 – 4:00 job. I do not have MS and I am invincible. Whether I'm running through the streets with a boy named Hawk or being a forensic detective, I'm living a life that I do not normally lead thanks to talented writers who share their vision with the masses.

6. Poets hold a special place in my heart. None more so than my mother. While not a poet by traditional standards, she wrote me a poem when I was about 8 years old. She made me a valentine out of construction paper and paper lace. She wrote on it "Do you know how much I love you? Do you know how much I care? Do you know you'll be my baby – whether skies are dark or fair?" And with that, she put a passion in my heart for poetry. While I don't profess to know poets by name or by their works, when I hear a poem I particularly care for, I learn it, memorize it and hold it close to me. Much like that poem my mom wrote me when I was a kid.

7. Music! Ah yes, you can't have a song that I will FULLY enjoy without words. Yes, there are some very moving, sweeping masterpieces that have no words, but those that speak most to my soul have words that seem to sum up my life at times – I've blogged about those in the past if you care to read it. I've often said that if I can't understand the words to a song I probably won't like it. That's because it has to mean something to me and I have to identify with it in order for it to stick in my head, and so many of them do!

8. Sex & words – now there are two things that go together. Harder, faster, more, right there, yes, yes, yes…OH GOD YES! Enough said! No wonder I like words!

9. Writing allows me to tell people things that I cannot say directly to them. It helps me tell a friend when I think a mistake is being made, or when I'm hurt and feeling beyond repair. It allows me to deliver harsh criticism if it is necessary. It allows me to tell people things that if I tried to vocalize them, would leave my lips as inaudible whimpers mingled with sobbing and wailing. No one needs that! I'm an extremely emotional person (I'm a Pisces, what do you expect?) and often times, writing it is the only way for me to express it. Plus, it's harder to interrupt a paragraph to defend yourself, isn't it?

10. Friendship. Yes, writing is responsible for many of my friendships. It's what drew me to may of you in my early days of MySpace. It started with Meagan, and jumped to Gary as I read his insightful comments on Meagan's blogs. From Gary to Jen & Siranda & Swilly & Laura & the list goes on and on. It's also why a few of you started communicating with me, isn't it? You liked what you read, or it made you laugh and think. Either way, I don't really care because it brought us all together. And I adore each and every one of you who offer me comments, support and conversation. I wish I knew more of you. Such a small handful of my subscribed list ever comments, I wish more people did. Because for me, that's what makes it worth it – the connections made here. The friendly banter, the sexual jokes, the silliness and the overall sense of all of us in one place, no matter whose blog it's on. Because we all enjoy the same thing – reading and writing words.

Thanks Gary for the tag. I'm not going to tag anyone. I will say, if anyone wants to do this, please do it. I didn't realize some things until I started writing it. And I didn't want to stop writing. It felt good to think about it. And if you do this, will you let me know? I'd sure love to read what you love about it all.