Moving on from dream to reality

I'm trying very hard to be strong and keep a good head on my shoulders. And right now, being around people who care is an important part of getting through this hard time.

I have some wonderful friends and people who care about me and I'm so thankful for them in my life. Without them I'd have no one and I'd be all alone.

Sometimes I feel all alone in a crowded room, but that's just because I've lost everyone I've ever cared about - mostly family. I've lost one of my best friends, a guy who I thought would always be there for me. Turns out that his "old and grey" story was short lived. People change because of how you treat them and sometimes they can't change back to who they were when you met them.


The highlight in all of this mess is that I got to meet my favorite man in the entire world, Christian Kane. I met him could not find a single word to say that didn't sound completely stupid. I've always been like that when I've tried to talk to someone I had a huge crush on. I keep wondering what would have happened if I'd had the courage to do what I wanted. I have a lot of whatifs in my life. And I know I won't live this one down. But at least I got a picture with him. I'm really proud of it and that I got his autograph too. I know if I had a second chance to do it all again I would probably be the same way. Wish I'd had more of my girls with me to push me to do what I should have done. But it's okay. Hopefully one day I will get my chance again and I won't be a chicken. But I guess it was having built him up to be my perfect idea of Mr. Right that kept me from talking to him. I know if I could pick one person to be my Mr. Perfect, my knight in shining armor, my soulmate, it would be Christian.

I have so many dreams and hopes and wishes for my life. Mostly I wish to find true love and have my name on a book cover one day. I keep dreaming even though I know my dreams seem so far away from me right now.

After having lost Jason, I feel like I might never be whole again, but I know I will be. I've been through this before with him and with someone else whom I still see in this town. I hate having to be in this town knowing they can be happy without me in their lives. But one day I'll be happy without them too. I just have to find it or let it find me.

Fairytales and Castles by Lifehouse is one of my favorite songs. I guess I still hope that one day I'll get a happy ending of some sort.

Fairytales and Castles
by Lifehouse

He says he looks in the mirror
And he can't tell anymore
Who he really is and who they believe him to be
And he says he walks a thin line
Between what is and what could be
He's getting closer
To something he can't understand

Cause there's a crack in his plastic crown
And his throne of ice is melting
He climbed his ladder
There was nothing there
And now it's a long way down

Cause on and on and on he goes
Dancing on the grave
Of what he thought was still alive, hey
On and on and on he goes
Dancing in mansions made of twigs
And castles made of sand

He says his head is filled with
Cartoons and fairy tales
And he's trapped inside a dungeon of dolls
With smiles on their faces
He's built a pretty cage
His shows on a beautiful stage
With candy coated prison bars
And chains that look like jewelry

Cause there's a crack in his plastic crown
And his throne of ice is melting
He climbed his ladder
There was nothing there
And now it's a long way down

Cause on and on and on he goes
Dancing on the grave
Of what he thought was still alive, hey
On and on and on he goes
Dancing in mansions made of twigs
And castles made of sand

Cause he lives inside
A fairy tale sand castle now
And there's room inside
For false expectations and illusions

Cause there's a crack in his plastic crown
And his throne of ice is melting
He climbed his ladder
There was nothing there
And now it's a long way down

Cause on and on and on he goes
Dancing on the grave
Of what he thought was still alive, hey
On and on and on he goes
Dancing in mansions made of twigs
And castles made of sand

Cause on and on and on he goes
Dancing on the grave
Of what he thought was still alive, hey
On and on and on he goes
Dancing in mansions made of twigs
And castles made of sand

Cause on and on and on he goes
Dancing on the grave
Of what he thought was still alive, hey
On and on and on he goes
Dancing in mansions made of twigs
And castles made of sand

Cause on and on and on he goes
Dancing on the grave
Of what he thought was still alive, hey
On and on and on he goes
Dancing in mansions made of twigs
And castles made of sand

The hurt that mixes with pain

Author's note: I wrote this Thursday night before everything fell completely apart. The girl in the story is me and the guy - well let's just say he's someone I should have forgotten a long time ago. This isn't the first time he's hurt me. It's just the last time I'm letting him. He hurt me by doing the one thing I feared most: him getting back with his ex. He said he loved me more than as a friend and that if he wanted a relationship it would be with me. This was four months ago and now he's gone and completely ripped my world apart. He hasn't stood by me and he hasn't been there when I've needed him. He's gone and I want to die. He told me he would rather die old and alone than to be without me to keep him sane. Well I guess that's just another broken promise to add to all the others he's made to me. So here's the story of my hurt...

He wasn't what she wanted, but he was what she had and what she thought she deserved.

He wasn't gorgeous, but his eyes were the oddest shade of blue mixed with green she'd ever seen. Just looking at him when he wasn't looking at her made her heart skip a beat.

She loved him but he didn't love her. He said he thought he loved her more than a friend twice in the nine years they had known each other. Both times he was jealous of someone else in her life. And now she was alone waiting on him to come home to a house they shared together.

Sometimes she thought she was loosing the will to live and sometimes she cried when he wasn't there. She sometimes cried when he was there but he didn't notice. And it was probably because he didn't really care.

She stared at the computer screen, wondering what to write as an episode of Dawson's Creek played on the TV. She wondered where he was, what he was doing, who he was with.

It didn't really matter she guessed, taking a puff of her cigarette and a drink of her Diet Coke. She put on her reading glasses and stared at the computer screen again. The blinking curser mocked her.

She wanted to be a writer. She wanted to have a love that could last past the three month mark. She wanted some life experiences to give her the guts to follow her heart and fall in love with someone who could potentially be her soul mate.

But there was him. And he was her world. He had been for the past nine years and he always would be. In the back of her mind she always thought of him and how he'd been her second love – the one who'd brought her out of her shell even though he had his own problems.

He'd made her into what she was, but he wasn't what she needed. She needed someone who wanted to come home to her and someone who wanted to hold her at night. Someone who would curl up with her and watch silly shows like Friends or Dawson's Creek. Someone who would look at her and love her for who she was.

He couldn't do that. He'd never really done that more than a handful of times. And since they'd lived together they hadn't slept in the same bed more than two times.

Her life revolved around him. She loved him so much that she didn't want to think of finding someone else. But times were changing. He was changing and so was she. They hardly talked. They hadn't kissed in ages and she couldn't remember what his touch felt like.

She just wanted him to love her and she knew he never would – not like she wanted or deserved.

She took off her glasses and rubbed her face. She was at a loss for more words to say everything she was feeling. She hurt – inside and out. She ached for someone to understand and for someone to want her like she wanted him.

The dialogue on the TV screen made her pause. Faith. Would you take a big leap of faith for someone you really loved or would you sit there and wait for them to take the leap themselves.

Do first loves ever really go away? Does the hurt die when you want to die too? Or does the feeling live forever in your heart until you give up on it?

When do you give up on someone? Do you just look in the mirror one day and not recognize the person you've become or the person they've become?

Do you give up when you feel you've lost everything? Do you cry a little and scream inside your head that you're letting him go?

The only thing she can think of is leaving and never coming back. She feels like her life makes no sense and that she could walk out on him and he wouldn't care if she ever came back.

She could give up nine years of knowing him and let him go. But she can't. So here she is. Stuck until she has the will to walk away and forget him.

She tries to hold the tears inside because of him. He's here. We talk but it's about nothing.

****

We hide the way we feel. I hide the hurt deep inside behind the mask I put on.

The episode on the TV now hits close to home and makes me want to cry, but I hold it deep inside.

It's time to close. It's time to move on and begin a new chapter in my life.

Things happen for a reason

I've always heard things happen for a reason and that God does things in His own time.

I've heard things like "things will get better because they have to" and "there's only one way to go when you're at rock bottom."

It's the trying times that have us looking to our faith and when things are going good we often forget to say thank you to our maker for the day's blessings.

I can't say that my faith is strong right now. I know I've made mistakes and I'll take responsibility for them. My heart is struggling to breathe right now from the stress I'm under because of a situation I'm in. I ask all of you to pray for me and keep me in your thoughts as I go through this roller coaster of emotions and situations before me.

I'm going to use the opportunities before me to do a few things I need to do and a few things I have wanted to finish for a long time.

I am going to finish my book and read more. I'm going to go see some old friends and maybe make some new ones. I'm going to love somebody with all my heart even if they never love me back. I'm going to be the kind of person that has a big heart and does things to make others feel good. (If you know me, you know that's who I've always striven to be.)

Since the reunion has been canceled for now, I will still be going home for homecoming. I know home's only a 30 minute drive away, but sometimes to me it seems so far away. I know if I ever decide to move away from here I will miss it more than words can ever express. But maybe it's past time for me to move on and I can actually open my eyes to see it now.

Going home...and family reunions

My favorite definition of home is the following: any place of residence or refuge: a heavenly home.

I've been thinking about home more often lately because of Opp Fest and Absolutely Andalusia Homecoming next month. My family tries to have a reunion once a year - and sometimes it happens and others it doesn't. This year's reunion is centered around Andalusia's homecoming and the homecoming at our church - Mobley Creek.

I always enjoy seeing faces I haven't seen in months or sometimes years. The excitement of seeing the people I remember from Thanksgiving reunions many years ago makes me long for those days again.

When we can get together and eat and sing a few old hymns, we truly know we've all come home. My family is my refuge and my home.

The Wards - my mom's side of the family - have always been supportive and strong in their faith. My great granddaddy, Bill Ward was a baptist preacher and a farmer. Even though I never got to meet him, I feel as though I know him because of my Uncle Donald and stories I've heard about him from other uncles.

I'm always thankful that my family keeps growing and yet through technology we somehow keep up with each other.

I have so many fond memories of reunions in the past.

Thanksgiving morning I'd wake up early and watch the Macy's parade before Mom and Uncle Clyde decided it was time to head up the road to Aunt Vivian and Uncle William's house. The kids played football or tag or some other country game that didn't require a tv. We played in the dirt. We hid behind our mother's legs or behind trees or bushes in the yard.

The food was the best part! Everyone brought their favorite dishes and the men brought tables and chairs from the church for everyone. The eating would start about noon and the visiting would go on all afternoon - probably because there was lots of catching up to do and us kids didn't want to go home!

There are so many of our family that aren't with us anymore and not a day goes by that I don't remember one of them.

But we carry on and come home to Mobley Creek to see each other when we can.

November 13, 2010 we will have our next reunion. I'm already excited to see everyone and take pictures.

I know that going home for that weekend will truly make me feel like I belong somewhere.

Hurt

Sometimes I wonder why I feel the things I do. Sometimes I wonder why I can't see the hurt before it becomes too strong. Sometimes I wonder why I keep making mistakes and picking myself up. Sometimes I wonder why I can be so talented and still have nothing to show for it.

I've pondered and thought and wished and hoped for so long. And now I've finally come to the realization that what was never mine to begin with will never be mine anyway.

The things I want and things I need mean nothing. So I sit alone because I am alone – except for my God who sits with me.

When my tears fall and my heart breaks, I feel the angel wings brush my face. My tears are wiped from my eyes and I feel peace from the pain that wars inside.

I know I’ll never be everything I want to be. I know I’ll never be the one someone needs. I wish there were words that could say all I need to say.

Here’s a song that might do just as well:

What Hurts the Most by Rascal Flatts

I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house

That don't bother me

I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out

I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while

Even though going on with you gone still upsets me

There are days every now and again I pretend I'm okay

But that's not what gets me

What hurts the most

Was being so close

And having so much to say

And watching you walk away

And never knowing

What could have been

And not seeing that loving you

Is what I was tryin' to do

It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go

But I'm doin' It

It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone

Still Harder

Getting up, getting dressed, livin' with this regret

But I know if I could do it over

I would trade give away all the words that I saved in my heart

That I left unspoken

What hurts the most

Is being so close

And having so much to say

And watching you walk away

And never knowing

What could have been

And not seeing that loving you

Is what I was trying to do

What hurts the most

Is being so close

And having so much to say

And watching you walk away

And never knowing

What could have been

And not seeing that loving you

Is what I was trying to do

Not seeing that loving you

That's what I was trying to do

Ooohhh....

Former teacher touched lives at Pleasant Home

Note: This article will appear in the Thursday, Sept. 2 edition of The Opp News.

The sound of Mamie Wahl’s booming voice and infectious laughter is something I’ll always remember.

Wahl was a sixth grade teacher at Pleasant Home School who taught high school chorus while I was in school. This tough lady went through a kidney transplant and a heart attack and still returned to teaching after each health scare.

Wahl passed away Thursday, Aug. 26 at the age of 58 after spending two and a half weeks in a coma.

Wahl was the kind of teacher you weren’t sure if you wanted to have until you had her. I remember the older kids telling me she was a tough teacher. And that was true. She was a tough teacher, but she was one of the best.

“Mrs. Wahl was always the teacher that all the other kids warned you about, but when I got there I found her to be a great teacher who was different from all the others,” former student Laura Watson said. “She knew how to show discipline without using brute force which always set her apart.”

While I have many memories of Wahl, I know my years in chorus will always be the ones I think of first.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Wahl several years ago while I was completing my internship at the Andalusia Star-News. She was candid about going through dialysis and finally receiving a kidney transplant.

I love to take trips down memory lane and often that comes with remembering what I liked about my favorite teachers.

Several of my schoolmates were kind enough to share their thoughts and memories with me Monday about Wahl’s determination not to give up on her students.

“What was so funny about Mrs. Wahl was that she’d throw a shoe at you, but she’d let you know that you can do anything if you set your mind to it,” former student Christy Watson said.

Wahl touched so many lives with her stern, but practical teaching. One former student was able to say “thank you” and get a little praise from her former sixth grade teacher.

“She’s someone that I’ll remember and be thankful for having the pleasure of knowing for the rest of my life,” Amanda Bryan said.

Bryan said she never understood until years later why Wahl pushed her to always do her best.

“About a year ago I saw her at the doctor’s office and told her thank you for what she’d taught me,” she said. “She smiled and said she knew that I had a lot of potential and that she had just been thinking of me a few days before. She said she was proud of how I turned out.”

Wahl touched lives even when she was going through dialysis before receiving a kidney transplant.

“When Mrs. Wahl had her kidney transplant, my mom was there at the same time for the same thing,” Pleasant Home graduate Leslie Tice Sightler said. “She was an extraordinary lady and I never really knew her that well until then.”

One of the things most students remember is how quickly Wahl’s temper would rise, but they also knew she was a caring teacher who never forgot a birthday.

“I remember how she would paddle you for your birthday, but of course it wasn't a painful paddling,” former student, Yancey Chavers said. “And I remember she would get mad if you called her by her full name, even if you put the "Mrs." in front of it.”

Many of her former students remember a sweet lady, but also one who could straighten up children in a way very few teachers can.

“I remember she was very sweet until you ticked her off,” Angie Cross Parker said with a laugh. “Then those eyes would just cut through you and you knew you better straighten up quick.”

Pleasant Home math teacher, Lisa Rolling remembers the fighter Wahl had become in recent years.

“She was a true fighter,” Rolling said. “She had fought for her life several times, but couldn't fight this one. I sure will miss her. She loved Pleasant Home and she loved her kids. She was a very devoted teacher.”

Many Pleasant Home students will never have the experience of a teacher like Mamie Wahl. This year’s sixth graders will never hear her famous saying “who died and made you king?”

While Pleasant Home, Wahl’s family and her former students mourn her loss, we can all know that our memories of her will last forever.

I know I’ll carry all of these memories with me and smile when I think of her.

Remembering mom's favorite things

As mother’s day approaches, I think of my mother, who’s been gone for half my life.

I remember the wonderful things about her and I smile but I get teary thinking I didn’t know her as well as I should have.

At 15, my only concerns were boys and getting my driver’s permit. I should have paid more attention to her. I should have – well I guess those shoulda, coulda, wouldas don’t really count now.

My mother, Edna Earl Ward Taylor, would be 70 this year.

As I grow older, my memories of her fade with each passing year. I can look back through my mind’s eye and see a few moments and those precious moments are the ones I cling to most.

I know my mother loved me. and I know she knew I loved her too. But the stories I hear about her now show me how little I paid attention to who she really was.

I remember little things – like her favorite perfume was Wind Song and she loved Harlequin romance novels. Her favorite color was purple – and that was the color of her burial dress.

She used a walking cane because she had back surgery and one of her legs was half an inch shorter than the other.

She loved makeup – blue eye shadow was her favorite. She wore fake fingernails because her real ones always broke off right at the tip.

I can still see her gluing them on when I close my eyes and take myself back.

She loved Marty Robbins and old musicals. She loved the movies, “The Robe,” “The Sound of Music” and “Sparticus.”

She liked mystery shows like “Murder, She Wrote,” “Columbo,” “Diagnosis Murder,” “In the Heat of the Night” and “Matlock.”

Her hair was always short and it turned grey by the time I was 14.

My mother was diabetic and she gave herself injections twice a day. I am diabetic now, which is something I wasn’t glad to inherit from her, but it makes me understand the struggles she endured.

She sang alto in the church choir. She was so proud when I sang my first solo that she taped it on a cassette recorder.

I can almost see her when I look in the mirror and when I do I see the sometimes wavy hair I inherited from her side. I hear my voice moving to alto when I sing in the choir now.

I can think of no better gift to give my mother than to continue to do her proud.

Mom’s Poem

I believe in angels

And just because I do

I know my mom is watching

Over me right now.

I know I’m not a failure

Or disappointment too

Because she’s watching, guiding

And helping me move through.

I wait for the Lord to come

Because I know ’tis soon

I’ll walk with her up there

And with Jesus too.

My mother was the best

She taught me about Jesus

And now she looks on with pride

As I follow all my dreams.

Even though I miss her

I know her love will never die

And even though she’s gone

I still wish her a ‘Happy Mother’s Day.’

The best thing about writing is...

...being able to see the people inside the story.

Lately, I've been doing a lot of thinking about my writing. I know I have talent - but sometimes I have this point of doubting myself. I guess all writers do that.

I think about what it means to be a writer - to touch peoples lives with the words you share with them and about them.

I have had the opportunity to meet some extraordinary people in the past few months working at The Opp News. These people give so much of themselves just to make others happy. They have the backing of people who care about them and they face trials with their heads held high.

I look at these wonderful people and think of all the stories each person has inside of them. We all have stories - from our childhood or from last weekend with a big group of friends.

These stories are the reason I love being a writer and reporter. Getting to the reason a person does what they do is a humbling experience. Hearing about how someone has fought cancer and survived, how a fire chief was saved by his own firefighters, how thousands of people benefit from non-profit organizations and many more I can't even begin to name.

I'm so blessed to be the wordsmith for these people. To take out my pen and paper and let the words flow from their mouths onto the page - letting them tell the story instead of me. It's all about how you arrange the words to make a story great.

When a story comes together and you can visualize it in your mind, you come away with something more than a finished article. It's a work of art. It might not be perfect and it might never be, but it will touch the lives of those who read it.

I've always wanted to touch lives, to make a difference in a life with my words. I might not use big words and overly describe every detail, but I make the visuals work in my own way. I make things simple and straightforward - when I don't over think the story.

I respect the faith and sacrifices of extraordinary people like Jerry Wilson and Tyler Spann. Each one of these has a story. They have faith they will overcome all the obstructions life throws their way.

Jerry Wilson is the fire chief at Hopewell Volunteer Fire Department. He and his family are truly amazing people and they have so much faith in God. His story - having to call out his own fire department to save his life - is one I know has touched my life personally. His strong will and faith that he will continue to recover in the days and months ahead inspires me to have more faith in not only myself, but the rest of man kind.

Tyler Spann is a very special 14-year-old boy. Looking at him, you wouldn't even know that he suffers from Asperger's syndrome. Asperger's is a milder form of autism effecting social interaction, but each child having this disorder excels at something. And excelling at something helps these amazing children express their emotions. Tyler expresses his emotions through his music - which is the perfect outlet. This talented boy can play Vivaldi, Mozart or Beethoven by ear on the piano and he's written his own compositions since the age of 11. He is also teaching himself to play the violin, which is amazing!

These are only two of the amazing people I've been able to talk to in the past few months. I have met so many more over the past few years, writing for The Andalusia Star-News and now The Opp News. I couldn't even begin to name them all.

I remember talking to a little girl who survived cancer and interviewing a soldier who had just come home from Iraq during my time at the Star-News. Of course, one of my favorite interviews was with Anna Garrott. Getting to interview someone that loves music and her fans is one of the best things. She doesn't let getting famous go to her head. Anna's a really talented girl and she's got a great head on her shoulders. I think she's going places and I hope to see her on stage again soon - headlining! I wish her all the best!

I can't wait to talk to more people. I can't wait to tell their stories! I'm still trying to finish my novel - though I haven't read or written anything on it in ages. I get new ideas, but with writing news and feature stories, I'm mentally drained. I can't wrap my head around my characters right now - well, save for one. And he's mostly my knight in shining armor stuck in a book. I'm hoping one day Everyone who reads Midnight Hope will love him as much as I do.

Garrott opens for Luke Bryan at tonight's Opp Rattlesnake Rodeo

Note: I was extremely honored to interview this wonderful girl from Troy. Anna is as sweet as she can be and I hope some of you have the chance to come out and see her perform at the Opp Rattlesnake Rodeo tonight (March 26) at 6:50 p.m. I think this interview is one of my top five favorites since I began working at the Opp News the last of November. If you pick up a paper, this article is located on page 7A.

Country singer and songwriter, Anna Garrott will be a little closer to home when she opens for Luke Bryan tonight at the Opp Rattlesnake Rodeo.

Three years ago, the 25-year-old Troy native’s dream came true when she signed with Pensacola based label, Blue Steel Records. In 2008, she released her first album, Only Time Will Tell.

“Blue Steel Records owners (Vicki Carey and Jim White) have gotten behind me from day one,” she said. “We built the label from the ground up and they believed in me. As a team we all make it work.”

From Troy to Nashville, Garrott still remains a laid back, hometown girl.
“My heart and soul will always be in Alabama,” she said.

An entertainer from an early age, she started dancing at age three joining the Dixie Darlings cloggers at age six.

When she started college in Troy she began performing in hometown bars like The Double Branch Lounge in an effort to catch her big break.

Garrott said previous Double Branch owner, Mike Reeves influenced her love of the acoustic part of music and writing lyrics.

“As a singer it’s about affecting somebody else with your music,” she said. “It’s the power to affect people – that’s the coolest part.”

Since the songwriting bug bit her at 17, Garrott calls writing lyrics her therapy.
“It’s an amazing process to have an idea in your head and have it come to fruition,” she said.

Introduced to country music by her grandmother, Garrott’s musical tastes range from classic country to folk to blues.

Her favorite female singers cover a variety of musical tastes from Lorretta Lynn to Bonnie Raitt.

“The common thread is they’re strong women and it draws me to these ladies and their female empowering attitudes,” she said.

Traveling all over the United States, Garrott has opened for country music singers like Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Craig Morgan and Joe Nichols.

“It’s extremely nerve wracking and you have no idea who’s watching,” she said of opening for such well-known acts. “You have fight hard to win them (the crowd) over, but it’s extremely rewarding when you do.”

Though her nerves can take a plunge when opening for legendary names like Randy Travis, Garrott says she doesn’t usually get nervous.

“The only time I get nervous is when I’m performing a new song,” she said. “I’m nervous to how it will be received.”

Her favorite song on her debut is “Trouble is a Woman”

“It’s one of those ‘don’t worry I’ll get you back songs’ with an upbeat tempo,” she said.

Garrott defines her first album as traditional country, but said her upcoming album would have a bluesy edge.

“We’re working on the next album already,” she said. “We’re rushing like crazy to get the material to the fans because they want to know what you’ve been doing since the last one.

“It’s such an amazing process. The songs you’ve written coming to life and having musicians put their pizzazz on it.”

Garrott was able to attend the CMA luncheon and was nominated for CMA artist to watch in 2010.

“As an artist, you are nothing without your fans; you have no success without them,” she said. “You get to live your dreams and do what you do every day because of them.”

Pride in my county

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a drug program at Opp Middle School to take pictures and write an article for the Opp News. For those of you who don’t know what the program was about, I’m going to give you the lowdown.

The Drug Task Force agents along with Andalusia and Opp Police Departments, the Covington County Sheriff’s Office, and a local business (whom I can’t name for political reasons, but I’m sure people will figure it out as I go on) were responsible for putting together Kids Against Prescription Pills (K.A.P.P.).

This program is such a great opportunity for DTF agents to go to county schools and talk to middle schoolers about prescription drug addiction.

The first location I went to yesterday afternoon was devoted to facts. Straight up, cold, hard facts about what prescription drugs can do to a person – emotionally and physically. The kids were able to answer questions about what DTF agent David Harrell spoke on during his part of the program.

The second location was for speakers, Connie Messick and Lori Rickett, who were able to give students a first hand account of drug addiction. Connie was tearful as she told students about stealing from her son’s bank account just to get her prescription drug fix. She told the kids that she could no longer be a nurse and she couldn’t drive – and those were just two things that were as a result of her addiction.

Local radio celebrity, Blaine Wilson and local attorney and former University of Alabama football player, Corey Bryan spoke at the last location. They pushed the fact that the kids could be like them and do well without having to resort to taking drugs to get a high. They could be high on life and be successful just like these two guys have been.

I’m just so proud that our schools are concerned about the problem of prescription drugs. Yes, there have been some problems here – actually one resulting in an arrest here in Opp if memory serves. I believe these kids heard the message that was being drilled home yesterday. Assistant Principal, Shawn Short told me that several of the kids had tears after hearing Connie and Lori speak about their lives.

I’m proud that there are people (who shall remain nameless) who will look out for the best interests of our children.

This person, who I cannot name has been instrumental in putting together several of the drug programs in this county. I know he will keep striving to do what is best for the good of Covington County as he runs for office.

Being a writer

I am a writer.

Yes, I know, that sounds a bit like I'm trying to tell you who I am and what I do. But that's not the case. I'm telling myself too. Sure, anyone can write a blog or a poem or even a short story. Many people can write books and never get published.

Me, I'm published - well not in the way that I want to be yet, but I'm making a point of getting there this year. Being a journalist is great, but being a writer would be so much BETTER. I'm not saying I'd sit at home all day and watch Days or The Young and the Restless. I'd sit home and write! I'd let the muse flow onto the page. I'd be able to let my mind take me to so many places if I could just sit in front of my laptop without anything else to do later and no distractions.

That's a bit of a hard order - no distractions. I'll get distracted by the TV more times than I can count - and yes, it's entirely my fault since I can't write without some kind of noise going on around me. It's like trying to sleep without the radio on - I just can't seem to do it - at least not all the time.

Music, television and movies inspire me the most. I still read occasionally and the authors I do read are really amazing. They write so well that I wonder if I'll ever get to be where they are. And here I go again doubting myself.

While I as in Pensacola for New Year's I went to Barnes and Noble (spent WAY too much money) and bought several books I needed for work and writing. I bought a book called Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell that I am going to DIVE into this weekend. I bought a new Associated Press Stylebook and a book on grammar and usage. So, I should be set, right? Just got to get in front of my computer and WRITE.

I am learning a lot about writing articles again. And trust me, it's different than writing a blog or a story. Basically you TELL in an article and in a story you SHOW. To me telling and showing are almost the same thing. And the thing that gets me still about article writing is that you have to tell before you quote - transitions will always kill me in articles, I think.

My goal for this year is to finish my first novel and finish some short stories to post on my writer's blog. I know I'm going to need lots of inspiration and encouragement. I know that I can do this. I know I can finish my novel and get it to publishers for publication by the end of the year. And if I don't - it's my own fault!

Turning 30 this year has made me realize that I want to do more with my life than write for a local newspaper. I want to have fans who come up to me and ask me to sign my book. I want fans who email me and tell me how much they enjoyed reading my book. I want fans to fall in love with my heroes and heroines and beg for more books on them.

Since I was 15 I've always dreamed of being a writer - so I think 15 years in the making, I should be getting close!

On another note, that doesn't relate to writing at all - I LOVE my church family. We might not be a big church at Mobley Creek, but we have some of the most caring people you will ever meet. I've had issues with my water, so I haven't had hot water for a few months now and a member of my church that I've known for a long time came to my house while I was at work and fixed my water regulator so I could have hot water. He had some help, but it's things like that - when you just tell someone you're having a rough time and don't ask them for help and they help you anyway without thinking of getting anything back. That's the most important lesson I've learned in recent years. Do it because you WANT to do something for someone, even if all you get out of it is a BIG thank you. These people are so wonderful. They have helped me through so many hard times in recent years. They've given me rides to work when I didn't have a car and they've shown me that even if you go away for a while and come back, they don't forget you.

I really do praise God for these wonderful people that I have the privilege to know. I thank the Father for their faith and their caring. God is good and his people are good. And I know this year will bring more goodness my way.

Keep me in your prayers as I'm still struggling with my writing. I have an appointment to see the doctor again on the 18th for my diabetes. I'm sure she's going to be a little upset with me since my weight loss seems to have leveled off where I am. And my sugar was a little bit high this morning after I'd eaten breakfast. But I'm hoping to get a team together here at the Opp News so we can participate in Scale Back Alabama. I'm looking forward to speaking with Patty, the dietitian over at the Mizell Wellness Center on Monday about this. And I'm hoping she can give me some tips on diabetic eating and such. I'll try to pass on the info on this blog when I get it so any of you can benefit from it as well.

I'm off to an awards ceremony that's going to take up a couple hours. Here's hoping my stomach doesn't start growling! :)