My parents are so proud!

This is the check I'm about to deposit that I received for writing a post a few months ago about a cause that I truly believe in: supporting and thanking members of our armed services.

I can't fully describe what it feels like to be paid for doing something that I love - that I HAVE loved since I was a little girl. I used to dream of being a writer when I was growing up. Even in college I still held onto the fantasy of making a living as a writer, but that dream was quickly dashed to pieces on the rocks of tough economic times upon graduation (December 1990) and I filed it away under regrets and missed chances.

Then I learned that there were people in the world who kept their journals on the Internet. People like Erin from Lose the Buddha (now closed), Lori from Tales of a Bathroom Scale (now locked), darling Shauna from The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl, Trish from Scale Whore, Taylore from That Thin Bitch (now closed), and Jennette from Pasta Queen, all of whom inspired me to start this online journal and begin writing for fun again. I owe each of them a tremendous debt of gratitude for the gift of helping me find my way back to my dream. And for the $50 check I shall be depositing very shortly.