Hello World! It’s me, Donna…

…And today, October 10, 2012, I am confidently stepping out of the closet and officially declaring myself a WRITER. And not to be confused with the other Donna Weidners of this world, of which there are oddly many, I’ll say it again:

I, Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner, am a WRITER.

There. I said it. And the walls are still standing, which, considering that I now live in Northern California, must be yet another sign from the universe that NOW is the right time to start taking my writing seriously. The Butt Kick From Beyond that I received a few years ago was clearly not specific enough. Wouldn’t you agree that driving behind a car with a license plate that read D WRITE must have been a message for someone else? some other ‘D’ ? Wouldn’t the universe send me a notification by snail-mail to make sure that they had the right person?

No. I knew it was for me. I was just being a big, fat chicken. I didn’t have the guts to put myself out there for all to see and comment on. It would have been like riding public transportation naked. In fact, maybe now I can see how moving to the San Francisco Bay area–where some people do actually ride the bus naked**–had a hand in my coming out party of sorts. Could seeing real people in their birthday suits walking around the city, unconcerned by the random comments made about their choice of non-apparel, have been key in building up my confidence? Possibly.

Well, all I can say is that I am thankful to what or whom ever is responsible for shoving me onto the bus destined for LIVE YOUR PASSION. I have decided to push my fear aside, take my socks off, and start growing into my ‘writer’ shoes barefoot. That’s about as naked as I’m going to get. Now I am ready to share my journey and my adventures with you. This is your invitation to join me, in my world, if only for a while.

This blog’s focus is on lifting spirits, making people laugh, and joining me in seeing the glass at least half full. It’s about sharing adventures, both everyday and far-away ones. At the same time, it is meant to support new writers just as I have been supported by The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and my critique groups. At this point, I also want to thank Kristen Lamb for her outstanding advice and book Are You There, Blog? It’s Me, Writer. Kristen showed up at the very moment I made a conscious decision to embark on the Road to Blogdom. She was the stinger on the bee, the facilitator of The Butt Kick From Beyond that I needed to get started.

So? Have you also experienced gentle nudges or smacks in the head directed at you from the universe and ignored them? I’d like to hear about it…please share, and thank you for visiting.

** Update: An anti-nudity bill, also called the Weiner Bill, was passed in November 2012 by a 6-5 vote