Day 11: Something people seem to compliment you the most on

Awkward topic.  Who wants to get on their own website and talk about things other people tell them they do well?  In order to avoid this subject, I initially began to write a tongue-in-cheek piece about how my greatest attribute is my humility, but then inspiration struck.  This post goes all over the place, so hang on and bear with me.

Lately, I’ve received a lot of positive feedback about my writing.  To me, the most interesting aspect of this response is that I never intended so many people to read my website.  After all, who am I?  I’m just an accountant who likes to hunt and cook and coach baseball.  Pretty ordinary.  As I’ve stated before, I wrote long before I started this blog, and I continue to write a lot that never makes it online.  It’s a powerful emotional outlet, can be very therapeutic or relaxing, and I highly recommend it to everyone, even if you don’t consider yourself a writer (because I definitely do not consider myself to be one).  Throughout high school and college, I have had several teachers and professors encourage me to write.  While I never considered making a career out of it (for too many reasons to enumerate here), I have always used writing as a tool to straighten out and explore my thoughts. 

This response to my writing brings to mind another topic I’ve written a little about but haven’t posted yet (that, friends, is what they call in the business a “segue”…don’t try this at home without proper training and supervision).  Gandhi said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”.  A change I would like to see is friends supporting other friends.  This started back in high school when I noticed that very few students regularly attended baseball games.  Although I know that football rules in the South, and baseball can be a little slow for the casual fan, this made no sense to me.  I had friends, male and female, that played all kinds of sports.  I would go see boys’ and girls’ soccer games, golf matches, swim meets…pretty much anything my friends competed in (which is how, I suppose, I won the senior superlative for Most School Spirit…well, that, and the chest painting at football games…see 2001 yearbook).  I would go see chorus and theater performances.  Anything I could do to support a friend and something that was important to them, I would do.  

Another unanticipated byproduct of my writing has been that it caused a few friends to reflect on their own lives and personal situations.  Lately, I’ve explored other topics that, as I’ve been told, have reached a few people, a windfall I never anticipated.  While I’m no Stuart Smalley (“…because I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and dog-gone it, people like me!”…sorry, had to do it), it makes me feel good to know that I’ve spurred others to think, and even some to write on their own.  I firmly believe that inspiration can be found anywhere.  I’m inspired by anyone boldly facing a life-threatening illness.  I’m inspired by watching baseball players I’ve coached work hard to realize their dreams (#25, UNCG).  The list could go on forever, with the point being that wherever you want your life to go, grab hold of something that inspires you and go for it!  While writing has been at most a hobby for me, I’ve decided to pursue turning this side-project into something more in the following year.  My writing has led to feedback that has led to me wanting to write more…it has come full circle!

I may not write the next great American novel (fiction isn’t really my thing…..yeah, that’s my excuse).  I may never even get published.  But the compliments I’ve received  and to feel like I’ve touched others’ lives is more recognition than I need.  The support of friends and family has meant so much to me, and I want to thank each and every one of you that reads these posts.

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