Lake Atitlan, Panajachel, Guatemala

Friday, September 11, 2015

Writing and Wellness and My Darkest Moment

Author Colleen Story maintains one of the most helpful, informative writer websites I've seen. It's called Writing and Wellness, dealing with every kind of trouble we writers may experience from depression to writer's block to chronic back pain, along with a lot of positive encouragement too.

On Colleen's blog I regularly find inspiration, motivation, helpful publishing information, marketing tips, as well as that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you find another writer going through the exact same thing as you.

Colleen asks each writer she interviews about their darkest moment, which of course being a glass half empty kind of person, is my favorite paragraph to read. It's always hopeful to read about what miserable thing someone else has experienced and overcome.

This week I'm honored to be the featured writer on Writing and Wellness. I explain how blogging helped me get through my darkest moment. The link to my interview is here.

Speaking of darkest moments, today is the 14th anniversary of 9-11, the bombing of the Twin Towers, which for most of us alive now was the darkest moment in our nation's history. I suppose for the previous generation it would have been the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I do remember the assassination of President Kennedy, as I was 15 years old when it happened.

And then the Viet Nam War I remember also as a dark time in our nation, where US citizens screamed obscenities and spit on our returning Viet Nam war veterans. These young men were just kids who'd been drafted. It sickens me to think of that particular time in our nation during the late 1960s when our country was bitterly divided over a war.

Although 9-11 was a tragic event one of the good things that came of it was unity, although temporary, within the various political factions in our nation.

14 comments:

  1. Interesting that you chose to live in Guatemala. I'm north of you in Mexico on the Caribbean in the jungle. It's challenging, but I do have a car. I admire you. And how did your children handle your move? My two daughters were freaked out.

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  2. A truly heartfelt interview. And what a beautiful picture of you!

    It still baffles me how people got so angry with the kids that went to war. All I wanted to do when my friends came back was hold them tight.

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  3. Loved your interview, Karen. Nice to know more about you.

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  4. thanks for turning me on to this site! And a great interview. Bonus!

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  5. Will go read!
    Patriotism did soar after 9-11.

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  6. Really direct and honest interview. You are a strong person.

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  7. Just read your interview. It's nice to connect with other writers who have experienced similar things. It's encouraging that we're not alone.

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  8. Great interview and very positive for wannabe writers. It's a shame that the late 60's and 70's was a time of distrust. It shows not only in the newsreels but in movies etc... Your salsa looks delicious and I had no idea you had 10 children! You deserve a medal!

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  9. I also didn't know that you had so many children. I agree with Birgit that you deserve a medal! I'm very impressed that you could stand up on the paddle board! I also went to NIU, and cheered on the Huskies. It was great learning more about you, and continue to take good care of your eyes.

    Julie

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  10. I liked your wellness piece. I get up and move around a lot. I have a lot of nervous energy and can't sit still, which works in my favor. You're also very smart to check out a writer online. Who wants to work with someone who is a pain in the butt?

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  11. I will have to check out Colleen's blog! Thanks for recommending it. Awesome interview!

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  12. About the eyedrops (inconsequentially), it also works really well to hold a warm cloth over your eyes for one minute - restful and refreshing - useful if ever you forget your eyedrops. That was a fine, uplifting interview.

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