LORANE AND WRITING AND THUMBTACK!

       href
="http://www.thumbtack.com/WRITING-AND-LORANE-Virginia-Beach-VA/service/772374">WRITING AND LORANE. . . .      
       "Please start listening", is all I had to say and, bingo! The speech recognition GUY started to listen and type for me.  And really, at my age, this is the best Christmas present one can get.
       I think I'll start by explaining that rather unusual first paragraph. You see, I happen to be in the market for writing and editing and proofreading and doing it all from my home locally.  One day, during my pursuit, I came across a company called THUMBTACK.  It seemed that they were aware of just the kind of activity I was interested in and asked that I fill out some forms, send them back to them, and wait for my very first client.
       I guess you could say that I'm rather in the middle of the process.  This middle part involves telling the world about myself, my abilities, my limitations, and my strong desire to work for and with them ('it', whichever).  THUMBTACK had already prepared a variety of such announcements.  However, they felt it would be in my best interest - and perhaps a more personal, accurate sharing of these qualities - if I do it myself.
       So, color me doing it myself. (Bye the bye, that first unusual-looking paragraph was the profile address assigned to me by THUMBTACK which they wanted posted on my web page.  It serves no other purpose than to alert THUMBTACK that I had indeed elected to write my own story rather than using one of theirs.)
       As a THUMBTACK parvenu, I have no track record with the organization.  This means that I am not able to tell you a wonderful tale about the many successes I've had using their connections and the armies of clients that I have accumulated by doing such stellar work for them (armies and THUMBTACK) .
       Rather, I must begin at ground zero (oddly, I do not feel lonely or uncomfortable here) and share with you some of the daliences I've had during quite a long life of writing.  Somehow using the very word 'writing' doesn't ring true.  This because, you see, I don't believe I write but rather simply tell stories.  And by telling stories I don't mean to mislead you into thinking of the word 'fiction'.  Nay, my 'stories' are the spate of observations regarding the activity in the world as it was spinning around me.
       Professionally speaking, I am a wife and mother (Employer: GOD) have written for quite a few local magazines and our newspaper, The Virginian Pilot, written book reviews for Amazon, contributed a short story to a collection of short stories for children, and dabbled in poetry.  Perhaps 'scribbled' might have been a better word when it comes to poetry.  I care very little for rhyming, detest symmetry, and the best way to describe my thoughts is with the word 'stray'.
       I believe inspiration and wit come from above whereas drama comes from below.  (And drama is the totally unnecessary, sordid, self-absorbed activity of dwelling on the negative.) I refuse to be a drama queen at an event given in my honor, even if it is my wake.  In forty-five years or so of marriage - to the same person - we have experienced incomparable bliss as well as the depths of disintegrating sorrow.
       This last refers to the death of our seventeen month-old son.  The gold star of bliss refers to the successful raising of his three marvelous siblings.  It is grossly unnatural for the child to predecease the parent.  Our three children have conquered and learned from this incongruity.  It shines through every day in the lives of their own beautiful and happy children.
       As the saying goes, of all the things I have lost, I miss my mind the most.  That being the ruling stray thought of the moment, I must confess I've already forgotten the reason for which I am committing this life history to paper.  Ah, yes, THUMBTACK.  Clearly, they do a sterling job of putting potential clients in touch with potential employees.
       As a child, sibling, wife, mother, nurse, and medical malpractice litigation attorney, I have seen much in many places. If, therefore, you are in the market for a somewhat neurotic - but happily so - author, editor, proofreader, or participant in any creative genre, I guess I'm your gal.
Later, Lorane. . . .