Bells and whistles went off when women in their 20s and 30s were suddenly falling victim to ischemic stroke and heart attack after being put on Yasmin. Young, healthy individuals who were on this brand of birth control for as little as a few months were exhibiting symptoms of major side effects and serious health risks. Ischemic stroke, heart arrhythmia, and pulmonary embolism are just some of the serious Yaz side effects allegedly experienced by patients put on this oral contraceptive.

It is fundamental that women become their own advocates and take charge of the decisions being made about their health and their bodies. As a whole, the American public relies too heavily on doctors and medications to give them answers in a bottle. In the internet age, it is up to you to do your own inquiry and become informed. Drug recalls and corporate lawsuits have become all too commonplace in the U.S.. At some point, individuals have to stop expecting the government and big business to have their welfare in mind. It is time for the public to ultimately take the first step and not be so quick to eat up anything handed to them in pill form.

The vast majority of the scooter related tips that you will locate online are all about assisting consumers to purchase particular scooter merchandise including mongoose scooters and petrol scooters, getting this variety of scooter info can often be very arduous indeed.

For good calibre scooter data a site that is managed by somebody like a scooter manufacturer will certainly be perfect, Some of the many motorcycling newsgroups and blogs might also be wonderful resources for discovering good quality scooter tips and info, these type of places might easily answer some thoroughly precise questions concerning items such as razor scooters or restored vespas.

For consumers searching for products such as electric scooters parts or gasoline scooters, you would be wise speaking to a mixture of motorcycling experts in advance of your search, you could be shopping for a special product like a scooter engine or even shoprider mobility scooter yet because of a lack of advice choose the wrong item.

If you couldn’t obtain the motorcycling feedback you are needing from a scooter manufacturer then possibly you are researching in the incorrect place, for example, imagine your subject of interest was electric scooter parts, it would possibly be smarter for you to check out a specific motorcycling portal.

Now if you should seek data on electric powered scooters it may possibly be better to use the information in a scooter site in order to initiate contact with a scooter specialist, by doing this you will doubtless get access to a fair amount of scooter help for free.

Consider also when you search this region of motorcycling it is possible you may very well be overrun with a considerable number of truly varied search engine results, such gems as maxima scooters and nyc scooters might though be very relevant to your requirements.

A wide range of scooter related searches might possibly have led you to a scooter or motorcycling targeted directory, queries like “deals on itailian vespas” or “guides on 50cc scooter parts”, the real trick with any motorcycling portal is to navigate directly to the website menu, if you take this advice you should hopefully not be side tracked by scooter reviews which are about an area of scooters that is not applicableIt is a fact that your town library can be an ideal place to obtain info on scooter items, advances like the web can cause us to neglect the many other motorcycling resources that are presently freely accessible to all of us, take advantage of such sources of free scooter data, good scooter product knowledge can very often be hard to locate.

For people getting merchandise such as extreme scooters or gasoline scooters, it is best advised to speak to a variety of motorcycling experts before you embark on your search, you may very well be searching for a special rascal scooter like a scooter part or a suzuki scooter but because of a lack of details take the wrong mobile scooter.

The Free scooters guide by Gustav Cronell can be found at: atozscooters.com

Not delegating is one of the major hurdles my private clients seem to struggle with. They are doing everything themselves and are so busy with the little adminstrative things that they have little time to devote to their “genius” work – developing products and services for their niche and working directly with their clients. Once they’ve hired help, either a virtual assistant or an in-office assistant, and move through the growing pains of delegating and trusting that the work will get done (and might even get done faster and better than they could do it themselves), I can always sense a feeling of freedom and excitement as the space opens up for them to work on the things that are really creative and inspiring to them, instead of dealing with invoices or fixing a glitch with their web page. And very soon after, their business really starts to move forward because they have the time and focus to dedicate to increasing their product and services line, which, of course, translates into more profits.

There are many ways that you can work with an assistant. You can hire someone on an hourly basis, or hire someone on a monthly retainer, which is often less expensive. You can hire someone for a single project only or you could hire someone fulltime to work in your office with you. Think about which of these scenarios might work best for you.

A tip: If you hire someone as an employee, remember to check with your accountant about filing the appropriate paperwork. The beauty of working with a freelancer, independent contractor or virtual assistant is that they cover their own overhead, including any insurance needs.

Here are 10 ways you can use an assistant: 1. submitting your articles to hundreds of submission sites 2. handling registrations for your teleclasses/workshops 3. proofing and formatting your written material 4. creating graphics for your products 5. maintaining your website 6. inputting any necessary updates to your products/services 7. as a sounding board for new ideas 8. responding to your customer/client inquiries 9. bookkeeping 10. packaging and shipping your products

If you can’t quite see how an assistant could help you deal with all the time-suckers in your business, keep a log of your business activities for a week, including how long each task takes you to complete. Then at then end of the week, review it and circle all the tasks that an assistant can help you with (there should be quite a few!). Consider the number of hours those things have taken you to accomplish, and decide if the $25-$50 an hour for an assistant would be worth the investment. Statistics tell us that your bottom line could increase as much as 40% once you hire help – now that’s a pretty good return on investment, isn’t it?

And if you still think you can’t afford to hire someone, then start asking around in your network for someone who would be interested in an exchange of services or for an intern or apprentice.

If you’re ready to start the process of hiring a VA in particular, I recommend these services: www.multiplestreamsteam.com – VA’s particularly well-versed in helping entrepreneurs who use a multiple streams approach www.AssistU.com – VA training program www.ivaa.com – the International Virtual Assistants Association

Or ask your colleagues who are happy with their own VAs to see if any of their assistants are looking for additional clients.

So before you burn out and lose the passion for owning your own business that you started off with, hire someone to help you. You’ll reach more people with your message and make more money at the same time. Start small and add hours as you feel comfortable and for what you find necessary. You’ll never regret it and you’ll never go back to being a lone ranger!

Copyright 2005 Alicia Forest

Alicia M Forest, MBA, Multiple Streams Queen & Coach, & Founder of http://www.ClientAbundance.com, teaches coaches, consultants, online entrepreneurs and solo professionals to attract more clients, create profit-making products and services, make more sales, and ultimately live the life they desire and deserve.
For FREE tips on how to create abundance in your business, visit http://www.ClientAbundance.com

Many people decide to breakaway from jobs outside the home. Some want more time with their family, and friends. Others are just tired of working for an unappreciative boss. Whatever the reason, you have decided you want to start a Gift Basket Business.

A Gift Basket Home Based Business is a creative and rewarding industry that has unlimited potential. It allows you to design, plan, decorate and bring happiness to those who receive your baskets. You can create theme baskets, special order baskets, or both. Your opportunities are endless for a gift basket business.

The first thing to consider is creating a Gift Basket Business plan. Although you may feel you do not need one, it is always good to create one. It helps you to ensure you have answered all questions about running the business and running it from your home. It will also make you think about things you have not previously considered. You can go to the Small Business Administration web site and download template for all the information you need to complete your gift basket business plan.

Many people do not think about the cost of a business phone line, office equipment, accounting professional or software, and insurance for the business when they consider starting a Gift Basket Business or any business. These are just a few of the extra costs that are just as important as inventory.

Something else many people do not consider are the local, county and State regulations regarding a gift basket business. You should always contact your local government and ask about any requirements for your business. They can also give you information about county and State regulations. You should find out as much as possible about the rules in your area so you don’t get a surprise later on. By knowing the gift basket business regulations, you are protecting yourself, your business and your customers.

The next step to consider is marketing. How will you advertise your gift basket home based business? To get your name out into the community, whether it is your local or online community, and build your clientele, you have to advertise. This can include sending letters to corporations and households, via regular mail or email, linking your web site to other web sites, creating a press release for newspapers and radio stations, and getting your business in a mailer, such as Money Mailer. The best source of advertisement will always be word of mouth from your happy customers.

Now that you know some of the essentials of how to start a gift basket business it may seem like a lot of work, even before you have put any money into it. However, most of this can be done in the span of a few days, and many items you may decide you need, may already be in your home. The main thing is to be prepared and know what you are doing, before doing it.

Usually a home based gift basket business can start out with very little overhead. You buy the items, as you need them. There is no need to keep a large inventory at first. You need to find a retailer or wholesales that will work with you until your Gift Basket Home Based Business grows, and your order needs grow. It is best to work with wholesalers, but you may have to start with a retailer until your company grows and your orders are larger.

The next item is pricing your gift baskets. Check out some web sites and call some of your local competition. See what they offer in their baskets and at what price. This will give you a better idea about how to price your baskets.

The hardest part of working at home is dedication. You need to dedicate your time, space, and some money to your gift basket business. You have to remind yourself, your family, and your friends that certain hours each day will be devoted to your business. Always include in your work hours, the time it will take you to update your accounting, and market your gift basket business. There are many resources out there to help you with your business. There are industry magazines, websites, and books. Check them all periodically to keep on top of the trends. This is your gift basket business and you want it to be the best, so do your homework and stay informed.

They can deliver specific solutions that will allow you to reach your strategic business goals and objectives, and clearly differentiate your brand and identity in the marketplace. Contact a branding company and they’ll explore how they can help you develop a “BrandMasterpiece” branding and positioning strategy.

Many clients have the mistaken idea that they can’t brand their company because it is too expensive. In fact, a smaller business can build a very strong brand in their sales area by being uniform in their image and message through a proactive and consistent campaign.

Corporate image and branding are strongly connected. In order for the brand to work effectively, the correct colors, font and design must be used in your corporate identity. It is not enough to say I need my logo to be blue; it’s knowing what shade of blue, out of the 1000’s to choose from. Remember your corporate identity is designed to attract your target markets, as well as represent your company.

Why Positioning

When people ask a branding company what exactly is it that they do, they unhesitatingly answer, “positioning”. While they also perform other marketing-oriented activities for their clients, their philosophy is that the entire marketing mix hinges upon good positioning. If the client’s product hasn’t been positioned properly, it will fail. Period.

The strategies, tactics, messages, and creative are all directly dependent upon the development of appropriate positioning. Unsound positioning will weaken each of these endeavors and yet it’s probably the least understood and most neglected of marketing activities. Many brand positions are hurriedly crafted by committee to placate management with obvious results. A landmark article by HCI once pointed out that fully 70% of new product positions mimic that of an established brand in the therapeutic category. That’s not typically a formula for success.

A branding company believes that good positioning is born of thorough market and product understanding. Only then can a diligent, proven process craft the positioning that will drive proper strategic, tactical, and creative work.

Positioning Design

Positioning is arguably the most important and yet the most difficult responsibility of the marketing professional. That may be why a branding company’s most popular service is a positioning design process. This unique, process makes use of a rigorous developmental methodology that designs brand positioning, and is quantitatively proven to create a positive product perception and generate incremental new prescriptions.

Whether it’s a new product requiring positioning developed from scratch or an under-performing product needing re-positioning, a branding company can enhance your product’s performance.

A branding company utilizes a disciplined, proven process to engineer an optimal brand positioning and an actionable communications blueprint. The process is broken down into three distinct phases: Surveying, Design and Engineering, and Brand Blueprint.

Researching Phase

The Researching phase includes the development of the initial strategic assessment based on an evaluation of the currently available information regarding the product, audience, and marketplace. This phase also includes recommendations for additional market research and exploration. The Researching activities include, but are not limited to:

Qualitative evaluation and situation analysis

Product and market differentiation

Customer segmentation, needs and problem analysis

Qualitative / quantitative research and analysis

Strategic Phase

A branding company should believe that strategy, message, and tactics all flow from a well-structured positioning. In the Strategic phase, positioning development, evaluation, and testing lead to the formulation of an effective strategic framework for the Brand. Only with a thorough understanding of that brand positioning, can key messages for offline as well as online delivery be crafted and evaluated. The Strategic phase activities include, but are not limited to:

Positioning workshops and option development

Strategy creation, mapping, and metrics

Attribute articulation / messaging

Blueprint

The Blueprint is a unifying document that provides strict guidance on the tactical application of the strategy and positioning to the full cadre of outsource communications partners (i.e., professional and consumer promotional agencies, public relations, publication planning, e-promotion resources, etc.) A primary goal of the Blueprint is to ensure consistent, cohesive, and synergistic promotion for the Brand across all tactics and media. The Blueprint:

Creates appropriate relationship between science & marketing

Increases cohesiveness of internal and external teams

Is a focusing tool for tactical partners

Scott White is President of Brand Identity Guru a leading Corporate Branding and Branding Research firm in Boston, MA.

Brand Identity Guru specializes in creating corporate and product brands that increase sales, market share, customer loyalty, and brand valuation.

This Article may be freely copied as long as it is not modified and this resource box accompanies the article, together with working hyperlinks.

Over the course of his 15-year branding career, Scott White has worked in a wide variety of industries: high-tech, manufacturing, computer hardware and software, telecommunications, banking, restaurants, fashion, healthcare, Internet, retail, and service businesses, as well as numerous non-profit organizations.

Brand Identity Guru clients include: Sun Life Financial, Coca Cola, HP, Sun, Nordstrom, American Federal Mortgage, Franklin Sports and many others, including numerous emerging growth companies.

Get That Suitcase Out

Many South Americans believe that if you carry an empty suitcase around the block on New Year’s Day you will be fortunate to travel during the course of the year. When my elderly neighbor sauntered out of her front gate in Cali, Colombia with a beat-up valise she’d dusted off for the occasion, she brushed off my queries brusquely.

“Don’t bother me now! I’m leaving!”

Minutes later, her “tour” complete, she confided her desires to “see the states” this year.
According to her, a voyage this year was now, “in the bag”.

Around the middle of December you begin to notice a disproportionately large number of fruit and vegetable street vendors starting to sell grapes. Grapes are everywhere by Christmas. Green grapes, purple grapes, mixed grapes – they roll down the street and squish beneath your careless feet as you stroll market areas and shopping districts. Eating 12 grapes at or near midnight of New Year’s Eve will bring you good luck throughout the New Year. Green grapes are preferred by the majority, but any will suffice I was told by Anna Lucia who walked into the room with a bag of mixed grapes ample enough to produce a case of “vino”.

“You’re not planning to eat all those, are you?” I chided.

“No, they’re not just for me. They’re for my family too.”

I remembered that she and her husband have five children. Add in the extended family and well, enough said. Haven’t had your twelve yet? Hurry up, there’s still time.

A Bundled Sheaf of Wheat

A black youth stood on a downtown Pasto, Colombia corner hovering over a five-gallon bucket full of bundled sheaves of wheat. Each was wrapped with a brightly colored ribbon or two. Some were enhanced even further with a flower or small bouquet. People up and down the streets walked with a similar-looking sheaf held upright out in front of them like a siren in front of a fire engine. Crossing the Zocalo, or main square downtown, a young girl sitting on a park bench waved her sheaf at us like a magic wand.

“That’s a new one on me”, I said to my companion when she explained.

“If you hang a bundled sheaf of wheat in your home it’s very good luck.”

She continued, “It has twelve stalks of wheat in each bundle”.

“How much for one?” I asked the youth.

We quickly bargained to a lower price.

“Are you sure there’re twelve in here?” I questioned, not wanting to get short-changed.

“Oh yeah. Go ahead and count them.”

When my partner responded, “No there’re only eleven.”

He quickly snapped back, “No way! Count them again.”

We did and there were twelve. This New Year’s luck thing is serious business. The flowered sheaf stands guard now on the bookcase over my desk. Wish me luck, okay?

The Color Yellow

Not all mind you, but quite a few Latinos in Colombia and Ecuador use the color yellow for the New Year. There are a number of ways to do it. You can paint a room yellow. Place something yellow in the room. Wear a yellow item of clothing and you’ll shower yourself with fortune for the New Year. For reasons which as yet elude me, a favorite is to wear yellow underwear. (The preferred color in Mexico is red.) Both men and women have a pair or two on hand for the occasion – or so I’ve been repeatedly told. Okay, okay, I’ll fess up; I have a couple of pairs of yellow underwear myself. So call me fickle. I have red ones too. Do I wear a pair for New Year’s? I’ll never tell!

Be sure to read “How to Use Three Potatoes and a Stuffed Dummy for Bringing in the New Year” for more unusual Latin American New Year’s customs. It’s online at: http://bettereflteacher.blogspot.com/

Happy New Year! … and get that suitcase out!

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is a bi-lingual copywriter, expert author and photographer specializing in business, travel, food and education-related writing in South America. His work has appeared in Transitions Abroad, South American Explorer, Escape From America, Mexico News and Brazil magazines. Free details of his 5-week online course “Develop a Specialty and Get Published on the Web for Fun, Fame or Fortune” and more tips on article writing, public speaking, and mental skills development are online at: http://bettereflteacher.blogspot.com/

A strange thing has been happening to newsletters online.

They have been turning into either a) promotional emails or b) web pages delivered by email.

I’m sure you know what I mean. Go back a couple of years and you could look forward to receiving your favorite newsletter in the knowledge that the newsletter itself would contain some great content…something you could read and enjoy, or learn from.

You could open the newsletter in your email and read it, from beginning to end. There were articles, reviews or just personal rant…well written and interesting.

In short, there was real value, right there in the newsletter.

These newsletters, where significant value lies in the body of the newsletter itself, are becoming harder and harder to find.

Instead, more and more companies and organizations are using their ‘newsletters’ as a promotional ploy to drive you to pages on their sites.

In one way, it’s understandable. As anyone with a newsletter knows, if you have one or two links to your site in the newsletter, your site traffic really spikes on the days you send out the newsletter.

When you see that, it’s tempting to optimize the entire newsletter – its format and content – as a means to drive additional traffic and generate more sales.

As a result, you now see numerous newsletters where an article is not included in its entirety. You simply get a teaser and a link to a page on their site. Or else you get a ‘newsletter’ that looks just like the site interface, with all the various navigation links and promotional messages included.

This may be great if you want to maximize the traffic to your site each time you send out a newsletter. But there is a catch.

The catch is, if there is less value in your newsletter itself, your subscribers will quickly begin to become bored with it. After all, with a zillion other promotional emails cluttering our inboxes – why pay special attention to a ‘newsletter’ that is simply another sales pitch?

The real value of a newsletter that contains valuable content is long-term. You’ll get more word-of-mouth, you’ll get higher open-rates, and you’ll get long-term readers who look forward to your newsletter, for years ahead.

Is there a compromise? Sure there is. A valuable newsletter doesn’t need to be text-only without a single link, or devoid of any promotional elements.

Just make sure that every newsletter contains some valuable content, in its entirety. Give people a real reason to look forward to receiving it, opening it and reading it.

Nick Usborne is a copywriter, author, speaker and advocat of good writing. You can access all his archived newsletter articles on copywriting and writing for the web at his Excess Voice site. You’ll find more articles and resources on how to make money as a freelance writer at his Freelance Writing Success site.

Your goal in this is to get the attention of the hiring manager, just as it is with resume writing. The method and format are a little different however. Your resume will cover all, or most of your professional career, and will be from one to two pages. Your cover letter will be a very brief page serving as an introduction to the resume. Cover letter writing style must be direct, to the point, and able to grab the attention of the reader quickly, with a goal of making the reader want to read the attached resume.

Many people, when engaged in this type of writing, have a tendency to say too much. Good cover letter writing is short and punchy, and will take two or three key points from the resume and emphasize them. The old adage “tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them” holds true in both resume writing and cover letter writing.

As an example, let’s assume that you are a materials handling manager for a defense contractor, seeking another position. In your line of work the buzz words are MRP, lean manufacturing, ISO 9000, and cost savings. Your writing efforts should reflect these buzz words to show your value to your current employer and any future employers. Your resume will go into more detail about how you accomplished these goals. The cover letter will simply point out to the hiring manager that you accomplished them. An example of this would be two bulleted paragraphs in the body of the letter that say….

• Experienced in quality assurance and quality control, MRP, ISO 9000, QS 9000, and Lean Manufacturing.

• Demonstrated results in saving significant money for employers through cost savings, inventory level reductions, and on-time supplier delivery.

The hiring manager, according to many surveys, devotes only about fifteen seconds to each resume and cover letter he or she reviews. With that in mind your writing skills need to be top notch to get this person to look at your resume. Your resume writing skills need to be just as good to get the reader to want to grant you an interview. In turn, your interviewing skills need to be excellent to get the hiring manager to offer you the position. This long, and hopefully positive chain of events begins with good cover letter writing skills and ends with job satisfaction and a nice paycheck.

Are you guilty of sabotaging your own job search along with the
opportunity to earn more money? Heather Eagar, a former professional resume writer and creator of ResumeLines.com, provides reviews of the top resume writing services that put you in charge of your career so you can get the job you deserve. Sign-up for your free Job Search Tips E-Course.

A. In a big city, you’ll make decisions by numbers and neighborhoods. In a small town, you schmooze!

On the surface, everyone will be friendly, optimistic and positive.

Your challenge: Get below the surface and learn the true story. You might consider asking a lot of questions before you disclose your own intentions. Listen for, “I wish we had”

1. Talk to others who have opened businesses recently.

What challenges have they faced? What works and what doesn’t? Were others newcomers successful? If so, were they truly new or did they have deep roots in the town, such as a brother who lived here forty years?

If nobody’s opened a business for awhile, dig deeper. Maybe there’s no market. Or maybe they’re just waiting for you to arrive! Sometimes a new business can generate latent demand. It’s a judgment call.

2. Make a great first impression.

Promotion isn’t hard in a small town. Ten minutes after you’ve opened, everyone will know! Some towns resist doing business with uppity newcomers. Others welcome new blood. Regardless, your first impression will linger a long, long time. And you’ll have trouble recovering from a local opinion leader with a bad experience.

3. Uncover the town’s market and memory.

Considering buying a business? Take time to discover the owner’s reputation. When the local residents seem eager for a change of management, you’ll need a new name and image. But if someone’s just moved away and everyone misses them, you’ve got a wonderful opportunity. Right now in Silver City we could use a few first-rate pet-sitters and dog groomers.

But be sensitive to change. Before I moved here, I’m told, at least three coffee shops failed. Now we have several, along with a wine bar and a microbrewery. All seem to be thriving.

4. Search the fine print of local regulations.

Here in Silver City, our newest businesses had to fight all kinds of red tape to get opened. One called City Hall to get help with a business that was new to the area. “It’s not listed here,” said the clerk, “so it’s probably illegal.” (The business has opened and thrives.) Another discovered his license hadn’t come through because the Council forgot to add it to the agendaand they weren’t interested in making last-minute changes.

Any time you serve food or drink, you know you’re facing permits. Find out what’s involved locally.

5. Prepare to do most of the work yourself.

In a small town, you can have trouble finding good help. The local work ethic may surprise you in either direction.

6. Know your community.

Will your market come from second and third generation local residents? Or are you serving those who relocated recently from urban areas? Here I’ve met folks who think three dollars is way too much to pay for espresso drinks. But those who bonded with Starbucks will buy at least one cup a day, every day.

7. Build relationships.

If you can attract a town leader, you’ll draw a following. Conversely, if you inadvertently alienate a key player, or if a local person’s got an idea on the drawing board, you’ll be miserable.

And in a small town, you’ll be expected to be a super-citizen. Choose alliances and sponsorships carefully. Prepare for all sorts of friendly requests to donate time, materials and money.

I offer one-to-one consultations for anyone considering starting a business.

About The Author

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com.

“Ten secrets of mastering a major life change” mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com

Contact: cathy@cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294

Do you want the dramatic version, or the logical one that almost makes sense; well at least if you know me? Oh heck, I’m just going to start writing and see what comes out.

Let me tell you what I believe about words to begin with, and because I believe some of my most profound statements come out in rhyme that’s how you are going to get them.

What is this place? Why it is SO unique!!
Look, I have eyes, and a face, are those FEET?

There’s a blob on my face. I shall call it a nose.
And those wiggly things on my feet, shall be toes.

There on the keyboard, those must be hands,
connected to the rest, by long bendable bands.

At the end of my hands, are those fingers or toes?
I guess it’s my choice, cause who really knows.

Words were created so people could share,
all the things that they lived with, with others who cared.

If I called that flower, and you called it star,
our conversations wouldn’t go very far.

But until someone said so, who really knew,
if I wore on my foot, an umbrella or shoe?

I hope you get the drift of that poem. I was in a silly mood when I wrote it, and yet it says exactly what I meant it to…that words are the basis of communication, and the commonality of our language allows us to share ideas and learn from one another. And what I do with my writing is take those words and weave them into a poem or a story to communicate to you, or to anyone else interested in reading what passed through my mind.

I write because sometimes I need to release ideas that have formed. Seeing the clarity or confusion of my thoughts on paper helps me to sort them out and figure out exactly how I feel about things. I express my deepest feelings in my poems, and if any of them make you cry you should know that my face was probably wet as well. My dearest friends tell me to write when they know I am in a mood about something, because they know that writing heals me. I can’t tell you why it works that way though I know it does; maybe it’s just a release.

That was the dramatic version. The logical one is that I am better at expressing myself in writing. Not so very long ago I went back to college to attain some academic credentials and also to take any and all classes that would help me become a better writer. To obtain a degree I had to take a speech class. You’d think I would be pretty good with words. I have had poetry readings and I’ve been talking my head off at my kids for 33 years, but put in front of an audience (no matter how small) and all those words I so carefully composed go straight out of my head to God knows where. Nope, I’m not a public speaker. I did discover while taking that class that there are parts of our brains that govern our abilities to use words. In my particular case the area for the spoken word is underdeveloped.

But that’s okay. You put me in front of a keyboard and my fingers take wing, only having trouble keeping up with my brain as I compose.

There’s one other reason I write. As I have gotten just a bit older I’ve realized that it’s all too easy to sit back and keep quiet about something I don’t like as opposed to speaking my mind and kicking up a fuss. But if I don’t speak my mind how is anyone going to know that I don’t like something? And maybe, just maybe, someone else out there agrees with me and is just sitting back and keeping quiet too. Maybe some things do need to be changed, and maybe my words will instigate that change. I’m not worried about being politically correct anymore, and if someone criticizes me for being irrational I just write it off to menopause. (I’ve found that to be a wonderfully effective excuse!)

I write because there are things I want to say. I hope you find them interesting as you read them!

Marie Pacha “exploded onto the writing scene” in 2001.
Her first two ebooks are soon to be re-released in hard
copy and her latest two are in bookstores now.

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Copyright © 2005-2006 Marie Pacha