It's funny when I think about it - my new hobby is writing. I of course started this blog about 4 months into TSW. I wanted to write about TSW when I first threw away my creams. I even started a few blogs, but then erased them the same day. In the beginning I was just so emotional over finding out about TSW and dealing with the onslaught of symptoms. I also went through having to decide to take time off of work and how we were going to survive financially. Whenever I started writing about my experience with TSW, I would break down. For some reason it was just too much. So I started writing about other things and I found this to be therapeutic. I did write a few articles on CNN iReport about TSW and enjoyed getting the word out that way. Unfortunately it did not get the attention I wanted it to because I feel so passionately about getting this information out there.
What I found funny was the article that I wrote about guns that got way more attention than I ever imagined. It is funny because I was having a frustrating TSW day and took out that frustration in writing about gun control. I ended up with my article as a byline on CNN.com, a video on me and my family made by the NRA, and giving a speech in PA. The video was hard to do because my skin was burning that whole day. Luckily the lighting actually lightened my skin so I looked a normal skin tone and not as red as I really was. I have done a few more iReports - none with any attention and that is fine by me - I just enjoy writing more than I ever thought I would! Writing this blog over the past 2 months has become more therapeutic each and every day. But I find it refreshing to write about something else besides my skin! :) You can see my articles here: http://ireport.cnn.com/people/HealingMe1?viewingAsOthers=true
I am hoping to write another article about TSW once I am healed with before/after pics. I want to try to get this out there as much as possible. :)
Hi Tracy, I had no idea you wrote for CNN but I should have known you write outside of this blog world since you are excellent at it! :) I went and read your article about guns, and while I don't get into discussing politics, much of what you said resonated with me. I don't have children to protect, just myself, but over the past few months with everything going on in my life, I decided that it was necessary to educate myself about guns, properly learn to shoot them, and become comfortable with handling them should such a dire situation ever arise. I found the experience to be remarkably empowering and I ended up applying for my concealed weapon permit and doing a lot of gun research online with the intent of buying one soon. So I definitely agree with your viewpoint that a gun is a tool just like any other dangerous implement is a tool, and children and guns can co-exist in a household if they are taught about guns with the proper respect and responsibility. I also think that my 'gun journey' provided an extra measure of confidence during TSW! I couldn't control my skin but darn right that I could control how I felt about my own personal self-defense. Keep up the great work and I hope your skin is also continuing to heal slowly but surely!
ReplyDeleteThank you sweetie!! I don't write for CNN as a paid employee - I write articles for the iReport page - anyone can submit articles on anything. Every so often they will run one of the articles on their home page. It's a stress reliever for me to write about things that concern me. Love your gun journey story!! Thank you for sharing! It made me smile! :)
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