The Top Five! (The Introduction to ME edition)

Upon researching what to say on a first blog post, I found that a lot of suggestions including doing a list. In fact, “listicles“, a word I had never heard before last week, seemed to be a very popular thing. So, here we are. They will most likely become an integral part of my blogging journey, but more about what to expect here later. I suppose I should start this introduction of who I am. Here are the:

The Top Five Things You Should Know About Me!

1. I wear many different hats. I am a wife, a mom, a sister, an aunt, a best friend, a full-time employee currently in the mortgage document industry, a part-time, first-time adult college student, a community theatre participant (both on and off-stage), an activist, feminist, special needs parent, definitely on the left side of the political divide, singer, writer, artist, spoonie (with disabilit2.ies and chronic pain), diabetic, not always mentally okay and constantly seeking for my purpose, my happiness, my contentment and just trying to be a decent human being.

2. I am a covid survivor and deal with long covid. Yes, I was one of those who ended up in the ICU during mid-2020, got very sick and had to take over a year to recover enough to return to the workforce. I am very vocal about my experience, my gratitude for being able to eventually get vaccinated and also about dealing with the medical aftermath of my infection. I have had it twice. I have had long covid the entire time. This will get mentioned a lot.

3. I have lost several children. I have suffered 3 pregnancy losses and one neonatal loss at 11 hours old. I speak of them, especially of my son Dexter, because it is important to keep his memory alive and important for others to be aware that he is still very much a part of my family.

4. I  am a survivor of abuse in various forms.  I have experienced assault and domestic violence in the past. I do not remain silent about these experiences.

5. I am unapologetically me. I have strived to find out who my authentic self is and I have decided at this age that I no longer entertain things and people that do not serve in bringing enlightenment and fulfillment to my life. I am never afraid to cut off those who are not down with my setting of boundaries. Like some popular tv shows out there, no one is safe from their consequences.

I could a lot more in depth about all those things, but then what would I write about later? Though let me give a brief overview of what I have planned for this space; my little corner of the this universe.

The Top Five will be at least a weekly-bi-weekly post. This will be about an endless array of topics.

The Long (Covid) Winding Road will be my series where I discuss my long covid journey to recovery. All the ugly-crying, screaming and raging, embarrassing bits: all here for you to read.  The story did not end when I finally left the hospital and there are a lot of us with long covid just struggling to find a voice and to remind people that we are out here.

Confessions of an Aging Student is a dive into the wild and crazy world of being a first-time college student in my 40’s. By wild and crazy, I do not mean frat parties. It is more focused on being old enough to be my fellow classmates mother, the interesting world of online classes, the journey of trying to get myself into the legal field and showing you are never to old to have these dreams. Hope to share some tips on balancing all of life’s responsibilities and still be successful in school.

Activism Sundays is fairly self-explanatory. I will talk about activism; the issues we are facing in this country (and the world) and my take on them.

There will also be other random topics like recipes for the mediocre cook, experiences in community theatre, personal posts, etc. I am sure more will be developed as time goes on. I hope that you will come with me on this journey and enjoy your time here.