Whoops! I missed my own GAnniversary last week... 

If I can just spout some words, joining this website has been a freakin' blast! I found a creative outlet and it's been a ride. I found a community of wonderful people that treasure the written word as much as I do. I found a place to call home.

I can't stop. This website has ducktaped my foot to the gas pedal, and there are a lot of the community members who had a hand in laying down a strip. I asked to learn to be a better writer and several have stepped forward to assist me. Looking back at my very first chapter, I see how far I've come. The results encourage me to further my skills, as do the reactions and comments. 

This site has given me hope. I thought, for a very long time, that I would be stuck in a retail job until the day I died. Writing became a hobby, and now I want it to be more. I want more. Jesus, it's so crazy for me to type that, to say that! This site has given me a goal, and that's to make writing my job. Even coming out of my fingertips, it still feels crazy, but it's now a goal. Not a dream, a freakin' goal! It's been several years since I had one. Last one I had was in college. I told myself I will be in Kentucky Wesleyan College's Greek Life Hall of Fame, and I did it. Before that, I made Eagle Scout at the age of sixteen. 

Now life has put a challenge before me. I will win. It's not often I become motivated, but I'm not afraid of dedication. It's my drug and no amount of rehab will fix me. I get high on dedication and I'm ready for another snort. Fork it, give me a whole line! Give me a pouch, I'll line it up with my old library card. Have I beaten the dead horse too much? Nah, I don't think so. Give me a dufflebag of dedication and I'll be happy for a while. 

Look at me; I'm a junkie pointing at everyone saying, "You'll see! Some day, I'll make it big!" But it's strange at the same time. I don't feel like that person. I don't resonate with the person who's following their dream, despite insurmountable odds. I've watched Youtubers become famous during my lifetime. I went to college with people who have gone to play for the NFL. It's these people I want to be beside. They've put in the time, hard work, sweat, and effort. I don't want a miracle that forces me to magically learn how to mishandle money and commit to terrible decisions that may or may not refer to my druggie paragraph above. I want to earn it. 

And I'll start with GA. I've got a long way before I am comfortable in making a more firm declaration, but I want to rise up. The title of Promising Author sounds pretty nice, and it'll sound even better in a couple of years. Admins, be warned. I'm a junkie addicted to dedication, and I got an empty dufflebag.