The most difficult part of any new beginning is deciding where to start. When it comes to novels, you want a hook to engage people into the action and the characters as quickly as possible. In an essay, you want an opening paragraph that will entice the reader to read the rest of the article. In many ways, the beginning of an endeavor is a provocative tease for what is to come along.
I have given a great deal of thought to how I would begin my first post. I have written several drafts in my mind, some funny, some serious, some personal and some impersonal. In each draft, I imagined how to fill in my potential readers with information on who I am and why I am doing this. I would ask myself what would I want to know if I am to sit here and read what this woman has to say. Why should I listen to her? Is she qualified? Is she funny? What’s in it for me?
Because those are not questions I can answer for my readers because their opinions will be entirely subjective; I have decided to answer those questions about myself and this fantastic new launch provided by the Families.Com people.
Who am I?
My name is Heather Long. I’m 33 years old and I live in Texas. I have a beautiful little girl named Cassidy and she just turned 5 years old. Christmas time is my favorite time of the year. I love everything about the festivities. I can get caught up in it all and have to remind myself to work out, even if I can only squeeze in a twenty minute quickie. I have four dogs, five cats and a fantastic horse named Dancer. I love the outdoors, the in doors and a great deal of what is in between.
What do I want to know about me?
I am a writer, first and foremost in my choice of careers. I have been writing for more than 20 years in some fashion or another. I can even trace back to the exact moment I decided that writing was the course for me. At the age of 9, Mrs. Walker gave my class an assignment. We wrote and illustrated our own individual short stories. We created title pages, about the author pages and cover pages for the back and front of books. As a reward, our teacher had these ‘books’ bound up professionally with engraved titles and by’s on the front of each one. To this day, that book and it’s silly little story of four lost kittens sits in a prominent place on my desk as a reminder that dreams are the results of work and effort.
Why do I want to talk to you?
I enjoy writing, yes, but what I am going to be writing about is fitness. I am not a certified expert with a degree from a college. Instead, like many of my contemporaries I am a product of life and study. I have worked on fitness for my family and myself for years, intermittently. Then a little over a year ago, I had a small epiphany. As a wife and a mother, I devoted a great deal of my time, efforts and energy to my family. I left very little for me. Yet, I wasn’t happy with me and that was coloring how I dealt with my family. I decided that it was time for some ‘mommy time’ and part of that ‘mommy time’ became 100% devoted to finding the fitness program that was right for me. Writing here will allow me to share what I have learned, insights I have gained and perhaps somewhere in the middle, help someone else find what they are looking for.
Am I qualified?
I have numerous research materials. I have worked with a personal trainer. I have taken courses in understanding fitness as a lifestyle choice and I have experienced the dual results of what it is like to be physically fit and what it is like to not be. I have a lot of experiences and I have a lot of contacts. While I would not begin to call myself an expert, I am someone who will definitely go the mile to find out what my readers want to know or to explore new options as they become available. I will never pretend to tell you that I know the absolute right way; I will only suggest what can be done and how to do it.
Am I funny?
I have a rather dry sense of humor. I know some people find me hilarious. Still others find me too serious. You’ll have to be the judge of that.
What’s in it for you?
Everything I can do for you. I will. If you have questions, I’ll do my absolute best to answer them. If you want more information on something, I will track it down. If you just want to hear an anecdote, I’ve got a dozen of them. If you’re looking for a place where you can be accepted for who you are and acknowledged that despite all the marketing in the world, not everything works for everyone and you have to discover what works for you, well then you’ve found it!
Finally
I can’t tell you how excited I am to be here. I am very much looking forward to working, writing, creating, learning, sharing, working out and most of all, reaping the rewards together. Never hesitate to drop me a note, I truly look forward to getting to know those who come here to read whether they come daily, weekly or happen to just be stopping by for a quiet visit over a cup of coffee.
Cheers!