Four years ago, March, 20,2020, our son, Kurt, helped me post my first weekly blog–this is #254. I began with EXAMPLES about two of our elderly, female neighbors that I had admired when our young family moved into our Durand home in 1966. Mrs. Sweet continued to wear make-up although many in her age group didn’t bother. Mrs. Waller stood straight while most of her contemporaries were stooped. These essays allow me to follow my passions and use my gifts to urge people to think about their lives.
I’m aiming at older women, a fast-growing segment of the population, but I also have some men readers. I chose the name, lolita-s-bigtoe.com, because we’re all constantly being forced to ‘dip a toe’ testing the waters of change.
In 1969, after our three children were enrolled in school, I slipped into the world of writing through the backdoor of learn by doing. All I needed to become a parttime, freelance journalist reporting about our community to the Rockford Morning Star was a typewriter and a 35mm camera.
The area newspapers and national magazines that bought and printed my articles wouldn’t have hired me full time because I don’t have a bachelor’s degree. When I graduated from high school in the 1950s, most girls who continued their education became nurses or teachers but neither profession interested me. I didn’t even consider journalism because men reported the news.
To learn more about writing nonfiction, I’ve attended seminars and joined the Illinois Woman’s Press Association, an affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women. The organization sponsors annual contests for published works in many categories. First-place winners at the state level are sent to the national competition. Through the years, my stories have earned numerous awards from both groups.
How did you find your profession?