Yay, me. Finally got the gumption to jump into the blogosphere, proving that it IS possible to teach an old dog new tricks. Guess I'll be typing to myself for quite a while, but I sure am looking forward to that glorious sun-drenched day when something other than a sad little goose egg shows up under comments.
In the meantime, I'll entertain myself until you guys join the party.
My name is Susan, and I'm an amateur radio operator. Sounds like a greeting at one of those "addictions anonymous" kinda meetings, doesn't it? Funny you should mention it, because the wife of a ham I know claims that ham radio isn't a hobby... it's a disease. Addiction, disease. You say tomato, I say to-mah-to.
Okay, so I admit it. Many a ham radio operator has deserted his warm bed in the middle of the night to tiptoe into his shack and fire up the radio. After all, how can he possibly sleep when there might be a pipeline opening to Mongolia, or to some other remote part of the world? And, yeah, a ham might miss a party or wedding every now and then. But only if it conflicts with a worldwide contest, hamfest, or with that once-a-year all-important field day. (He usually makes it to his OWN wedding.)
Writing is the same way. Countless writers crawl out of bed in the wee hours of the morning, because that's when their inconsiderate muses decide to tap them on the shoulder. The words start rolling around in their heads, the voices start talking, and they have no choice but to grab a pad or fire up the computer. It's a passion, and a compulsion. Writers don't always write because they want to write; they write because they HAVE to write. There's simply no peace to be found until they put form to the words churning in their heads.
But it's all good, because it's all about passion, and passion, my friends, keeps the giddyap in our steps.
How about you? What lights a fire in your furnace? Whatever it is, I sincerely hope your significant other shares that passion with you. That elevates the enjoyment to a whole 'nother level.
And by the way, if you're interested in learning more about amateur radio, check out http://www.arrl.org/ It doesn't matter how old you are, where you live, or what you do in life. Amateur radio is FUN, and offers many opportunities to serve your communities.
No trees were killed in the sending of this message. However, a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
Oh my gosh! I can't believe I actually finally got to the point to post a comment. Years ago I was classified as an "early adapter," meaning I had the latest software, cell phone, adapted to new software and technology in general. Now I find myself being one of those brought kicking and screaming into this generation of social media. Susan, you have given me inspiration to embrace it rather than run screaming into the hills. So yay you! Although I respect the amateur radio service and my husband is one of those "hams," I still stand by my mantra of "blah blah blah radio." However, I have met some of the most amazing people through my husband's affiliation, including Susan, who I consider to be a very good and dear friend. We share the writing bug, but she's much better than me and I am proud to say I've had the pleasure of not only reading her work, but editing some of it as well. You go girl. Love ya.
ReplyDeleteYay, Kati! You are STILL an "early adapter", Lady. Some very tech-savvy people told me they couldn't get their comments to post, but you DID! (However, in their defense, they were hams, so they probably only gave it a cursory attempt before rushing off to the radio...)
ReplyDeleteAs everybody know, one's "first" is always special, so years from now, when I'm old(er) and gray(er), I'll always remember you as my double-header first, both commenter and follower. Thanks for posting. You made my day.
Congratulations on your new blog! I saw your comment on the Don't Pet Me, I'm Writing blog and had to stop and welcome you to the blogosphere.
ReplyDeleteOther thoughts:
1) I love the quote at the beginning. I feel that way all the time!
2) It's interesting to learn about something new! I've never used a ham radio, but it sounds like fun. It would be great for a novel, hint hint...
3) So true about needing to follow the call of the voices in your head. I wish I had the discipline to get up at four in the morning and write down what my characters are saying to me. The closest I'll get is jotting down a few notes in my bedside notebook and hoping I can decipher them in the morning.
Hi, Caryn.
ReplyDeleteThank you soooo much for stopping by, and even better yet, for posting a comment. You have no idea how much I appreciate the welcome. Setting up a webpage is way outside of my comfort zone, but I'm looking forward to having fun with this blog.
Please, come again!