Published Author!

I suppose every English teacher secretly wishes she were a published author; day after day, we present the works and celebrate the talents of others, wondering, maybe, if we have what it takes to produce works that someone else might read.

Well, this summer, I had my chance to try my hand at writing for a newsletter that some two thousand readers will receive.  And--those readers are people with whom I (gulp) went to school.  Is there any more terrifying audience?  It was a little like delivering a speech in Mrs. Choate's Public Speaking class before my peers in the old Elverado High School building.  It began with my mother calling to tell me Mrs. MaryAnn Horstmann wanted an article about the time George W. Bush came to my junior high and my friends and I got his autograph.  It's a cute story--we were seventh graders and a little starstruck at the arrival of the son of a VIP (Bush Sr. was vice president of our country at that point [quit doing the math; it was a long time ago]) in our little town of Vergennes, and we preteen girls determined and succeeding in finding a moment to approach him and ask for his signature on our fringey notebook paper.  I think he was genuinely tickled at our request--I distinctly remember the delighted smile--or maybe it was an indulgent one?  Anyway, he signed and we were excited that he did.

So here it is:

I got page four of the Elverado Education Foundation newsletter!  And this letter is sent to all the alumni who contribute or are on the mailing list of the organization--my graduating class, the graduating classes before and after mine, former teachers, and on and on, could be reading my article. Like, right now.  Talk about having a vague audience!  What tone to strike that would engage both former teachers (and therefore graders) of mine and friends alike?  Hm.  I hope that the writing isn't too sweet for the class of '92 (seriously.  Don't be doing the math.) or too chatty for those who taught me how to write formally.

Got a little mention on the cover, too:

So there it is!  Am published in a small but worthy newsletter produced by people who love the school I love, and I'm happy to have a place in its mailings.  It's been kind of a theme this year to actually put my written word out and about--I'm actually blogging for my church's website, too--check it out at www.elkvillechristian.com, under the tab called The Christian Road.  I need to write more than I do over there--but I feel real pressure to make sure those are Blog Worthy Topics that I've prayed over and are worthy of the church's reaching out mission.  

But, at the end of the day, I no longer feel that crippling fear of being heard or read by a large audience, and that, I think, has been the unexpected theme of this 40's list project!  I highly recommend stepping out of your comfort zone from time to time.  You never know whose autograph will be available when you do . . . .