Introducing Me
I am thrilled to be sharing my first blog post with you today. My memoir, Thinking of You, was a labor of… not love. Determination. A labor of determination and an avenue to healing. My writing was a catharsis, like a shedding of dead skin. Okay, that was probably a gross visual, but stick with me here. Now that I am sharing this story with you, I feel tender, like my raw flesh is exposed. It’s fragile, but also refreshed. You see what I mean?
As with all stories, mine left its mark. However, I find it important to let you know that this has not consumed me. I am, in fact, so much more than this scar that someone else caused. I would like to spend some time showing you all who I am, outside of my story. I promise, we will discuss grooming, spiritual manipulation, and abuse of power here. But first, I want to expose you to my humanity.
You have been introduced to a large part of my lore, but let me tell you about the other parts of my childhood that remain foundational to who I am as a person. I come from an incredible, loving family. I have a mom and dad, as so many do. (Musical reference, anyone?) I have a yours, mine, and ours family, complete with two older half-brothers, an older half-sister, and a younger full brother. I grew up the proud owner of two American Girl dolls. Samantha and her best friend Nelly, of course. I am not sure why I am telling you this other than that it felt necessary. I was the biggest fan of the Jonas Brothers. My walls were a shrine to the Disney boy band. I was originally, and remain forever, a Joe girl. Among their posters on my walls was an embarrassing amount of Twilight merchandise. Which team was I? Jacob. Period. Next question. (We don’t talk about Renesmee.) My favorite movie was A Walk to Remember. I remain crushing on Mandy Moore until the day I die. Like my fellow millennials, I am defined by High School Musical, Myspace, and T9 texting lingo <3. The title of this post comes from an early 2000s classic. Rather, a sequel to a classic. Can you name it?
Now, let’s talk music. You may have noticed on my social media that I am a fan of Taylor Swift. This is true. I spent most of my life denying her musical genius simply because others loved it. (By the way, let’s stop doing that. It’s an awful trait.) What made me a believer? Folklore. I was enchanted by her storytelling on this album. I have since grown to not only appreciate but love her earlier music. That said, I cannot deny that The Tortured Poets Department is my all-time favorite album. The way Taylor Swift has the ability to not only put her feelings into words, but to then put those words to music that emphasizes her point? It’s breathtaking.
If you read my story, you might wonder if I still love musicals and performing. The answer, in short, is yes. The long answer? It’s complicated. We can dive into that another time. For now, I will let you know that I continue to enjoy the art of theatre. I am a director for my local school district, which has been at once challenging and healing. While I have enjoyed many of the classics and new releases on Broadway, my favorite musical is Hadestown. I will make an entire post about this musical sometime because… WOW. It is breathtaking, deeply relevant, and so very human. Stay tuned for more on this.
Now for my life. I was a teacher, once upon a time. I taught Kindergarten for five years. While I loved elements of the job, I found the career to be unsustainable for me. I now work from home in what I refer to as a “regular 9-5.” Oh, and I write books. I am married to an incredibly smart man. He is many things, including kind, generous, and silly. However, his brilliance is something I find myself in awe of constantly. After years of talking himself out of it, he decided to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. It is the joy of my life to pursue my dreams alongside that man. Together, we have two little boys, ages four and two. Both of our boys are also brilliant. My oldest is incredibly creative, and my youngest is as silly as can be. They are the most delightful mix of their parents.
My only qualifications for becoming an author are that I had a story to tell and a love for writing. Now that this story is out and my love for writing rekindled, I do not intend to stop. That said, I cannot answer the question of “what’s next.” I have storyboards, notebooks of research, and some ideas for future novels. I also have a drive to blog, share the stories of others, and be a companion for those who have experiences similar to my own. I can see this writing pursuit taking me in several directions, and for now, I am going to sit with this. I have some projects in the works, but I am refusing to feel pressured. I will create when I feel inspired. When I do, I will share it for those who want to consume it. Either way this goes, I hope you will take this journey with me.
With love,
Mary Beth
