An Aspiring Writer Trying to Rise Above His Circumstances
"You need to be realistic." "What you’re doing is just a hobby." "You need to go to college and get a real job if you want to avoid collecting disability."
These are all things that have gone through my head at one point or another. Did people actually say or think these things? I can’t be sure. More than likely not, but it was very hard as I came of age to not hear these things coming from somewhere, even if it was nowhere. I was diagnosed very early in life with cerebral palsy and told by the first doctor we went to that I would be confined to a wheelchair for my whole life. I would never walk, he said. He was not able to say anything more before my mother walked out of his office without so much as a “Thanks for nothing.” Thirty years later, I don’t think I’ve ever properly thanked her. I’ve always been better with words in written form, so perhaps this is my way to do it.
My Journey
I’ve worked my entire life. Twenty years of being of working age, all of them spent working for the same company and not a single government check. I’ve been ever grateful to have gainful employment for that long, and I’m grateful to my job and my coworkers for the experiences I’ve had over the last two decades, but I always felt like there was something more out there for me. I always knew I wanted to write, and I loved the idea of getting paid for it, but somewhere along the way, I lost my way. I spent far too many years chasing acceptance from people who didn’t share my visions or my ambitions. After years of surrounding myself with the wrong people, I finally decided to put the focus where it needed to be, on my passion and love of writing.
In the beginning, self-doubt plagued me. After some research and tireless reading, I discovered I was not alone. I discovered all writers go through doubts, regardless of their background or past experience. Ultimately, it was meeting one of my dearest writer friends, a woman who inspires me every day to pursue my love and talent for writing.
My Passion
I’ve always had a love of writing, literature, and sports, and when I mentioned it to anyone I knew, their first thought was college and journalism. I was not a fan of the idea of using what income I made as a journalist to pay back student loans for however many years it took, and I wasn’t keen on the whole college thing as a whole. I knew I wanted to write, and I knew there were an increasing number of ways to do so and make decent money online. For me, it wasn’t just about the money. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a factor, but the thing about writing, as with anything creative, you can’t go into it with the mindset of doing it for money. Desperate for answers, I started looking through YouTube for ideas.
Finding My Path
In my tireless YouTube searches, I looked for tips and tricks on how to start a blog, get posts in front of people, and navigate the slippery slope that is SEO. None of it was working. After countless days and nights searching for answers, I discovered that it wasn’t me that was the problem, and it wasn’t the things I was posting or the keywords I was using. As I often do, I was overthinking writing on the internet in this day and age. Not only was I overthinking what I was doing, but I was also in the wrong mindset with my content.
After more tireless research and many failures, I realized that I was going about this whole online writing thing the wrong way. In a sense, I was doing exactly what I didn’t want other people to do. I was drawing attention to something that I didn’t want to define me as a writer or as a person. This proves that no success comes without failure. Mistakes are part of the process, and this was one for me.
Why Follow Me?
You’re probably reading this and wondering to yourself, "Ok, why should I follow this guy?" My short answer is that if you’re here in the first place, you share my love of writing and maybe we can help build each other up. I’m all about helping others succeed along with myself. I love to tell stories, and I love to read and hear other people’s stories. Some of my content will be fictional, some will be pulled right out of life. Either way, there will be a personal touch to every story and article I write—something I learned or wish I’d learned sooner, something I went through or am trying to avoid. Whatever the context, it is my sincere hope that you find something within my slowly growing catalog that helps, entertains, or inspires you.
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