Hip hip hooray – today is the day!
My very first of ten columns runs in the newspaper today.
As I mentioned before, I decided not to included my blog address in my byline. I like my little blogging world and I am enjoying the anonymity of it. There are less then a dozen people in my life who know of my blog’s existence. I have given this a lot of thought and while I would love to see my happy band of readers increase, I want to feel comfortable writing whatever I choose; right now I do.
I have been vague about where we live on purpose and I have tried to keep our last name off this blog. I have messed up a couple times and had to fix some posts after they were published so those of you who are stalkers already know who I am and where I live. And seriously you are either really crappy at stalking because I have not seen you or you are really good at stalking because I have not seen you. Either way, knock it off.
So, if I ask nicely, can I trust that you will keep my secret? If you click on the link, read my column, and become inspired to leave a comment on the newspaper’s site, will you refrain from calling me Shoes or mentioning my blog? Yes? Excellent!
So here you go. Those of you who get the actual black and white newspaper bust out your silly putty, press it down on my headshot and have hours of fun distorting my face. I apologize that the online articles are not accompanied by the writers’ headshots but I don’t think silly putty is good for computer monitors anyway.
For those of you lacking the Silly Putty option.
The only thing the editor changed was my title, Moving Between Worlds, which I personally think is better than what they came up with.
I hope you enjoy it! Here you go.
Shoes On The Wrong Feet 
I am SO happy for you!
I still can’t believe I get to do this! So exciting! 🙂
It’s wonderful – and the article was terrific. The editor was wise not to touch a thing.
Awesome column! Thrilled for you.
Thank you! It was fun to write.
Congratulations! Take a minute to pat yourself on the back for such an amazing accomplishment!
Thanks, I am a little proud of myself for getting the chance to do this. It is still unbelieveable to me that I was picked for this. I tend to write about simple family stuff, not your typical newspaper fare.
How exciting!!! I am so happy for you….and impressed! way to go! I’m off to read your column….don’t worry, I won’t give you away. 🙂
It is pretty exciting! I am still pinching myself. Thanks for not giving me away. 🙂
Congrats! Great piece!
Thanks!
Congrats! Very exciting!!
We have much in common. I quit my microbiology gig 15 years ago when Princess was born, and I’m considering going back for a master’s in something once Taz is old enough for me to have more day time alone for classes.
Wow, I had no idea we had that in common! I look forward to hearing about your master’s journey when the time is right for you and your family. The speed of it all is making my head spin and then getting this writing gig for the newspaper is just all frosting on my cake!
That’s a great column. I really enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing it with us. 🙂
Thanks! I pretend that I am writing a blog post when I write for the newspaper so I don’t freak myself out about the size of the audience. I am happy to share with you all.
I’m so happy for you! I read the article and it was great. Brought tears to my eyes, as I also relish the happy sounds of my kids playing… 😉 Even if today one was an owl and one was a mouse and they were squealing (!!!) like they’d broken a bone as they chased themselves around the house. Best of luck with your new endeavors, you’re a great writer, and I bet you’ll be a wonderful teacher!
Ha – owl and mouse kind of day! 🙂 I love hearing their play and knowing that I can at any time pop over and join them. Thank you for the compliments – I love writing. I hope I rock the teacher thing, I think it will be hard but so much fun and very rewarding.
Congrats on your byline – I enjoyed your article. Very exciting!
Thank you. It is kind of strange to think that I have a byline – at least for the next year. Rather fun!
Oh Shoes! I am so excited for you! The column was great. It was an excellent introduction to your charmed life. And BTW, the title you gave it was waaaaay better than the one they gave it. This is why we don’t hire others to name our babies 😉
Thank you! I was trying to give the readers a little peek into my life for my first article. I did like my title a lot but maybe it was to poetic or vague for the newspaper.
If you want to write, you can’t remain anonymous for ever! I prefer their headline. It tells the reader what the column is about. Well done.
I don’t have any great aspirations to write for a living, if I did I would be all over getting my blog out there in my byline. I write simply because I enjoy it and it makes me happy. I am not sure that if I did it for a living I would like it as much as I do now. At first blush I was a bit miffed that they changed my title but I think you are right about their headline providing the reader information on the article than my original title. I don’t have any writing experience other than blogging. I think my title is more blog and less newspaper.
Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment.
Congrats!
Thanks – it is still so unreal that I get to write for the paper for a year! How fun (and a bit stressful now that I have deadlines!)
That’s great! Congrats. Your secret is safe with me. 🙂 Thank you for sharing your article with us.
And thank you for all your comments and well wishes over the past year or so.
Congratulations! WOW! I loved reading your column. That’s so great that you are going to back to school… children and teachers are our future!
Thank you! The winds of change are blowing hard around my house. It is scary and exciting all at once, rather like watching a great strom roll in.
You’re still Mama Shoes, no problem!
If you increase the newspaper’s online traffic, maybe they’ll find you a paying gig? 😉
🙂 I do like being Mama Shoes.
Wouldn’t that be something? I would very much like that but I don’t think times are all that good for newspapers and if they can get reader columnists for free, I don’t think they would offer me a paying gig. Although it would be nice…
Congratulations! The article was magnificent! So happy for you!!
Thank you! I am pretty excited about it. 🙂
I tweeted and facebooked it — excellent article — they should keep you on–I have been doing a column for almost 15 years
Thanks for the tweet and FB share. I would love to have some sort of writing position but with all the medical expenses we have with Cody, I have not considered writing to be a safe and stable career choice for our family. The teaching, while being different every day and rewarding on its own, also offers benefits, a schedule that is family friendly, and hopefully is stable.
I was really quite shocked to be chosen to be one of the columnists but, let me tell you, it did get me dreaming a bit about writing jobs… It would be nice to get a part-time writing gig that paid a little. Who knows, maybe after this year is over they will offer me something. I would love to have a weekly column like you do!
sounds like a combo of the two would fit you just right — but until then, this is a wonderful gig
YAY you! Can’t wait to read it. I promise I won’t give you away.
I hope you enjoy it. My writing voice is one you are familiar with, I just pretended it was a blog post I was puting together and wrote. Thanks for keeping my secret blogging identity secret. 🙂
The imprint is very cool. Exciting time.
I enjoyed the article – well written. I like the transition from seeing them grow learn to wanting to be in the classroom.
Thank you. I struggled with that transition in the article and had to rewrite it several times. I am glad you liked it.
I definitely see some of the best element of “Shoes” in there and more.
Ah, well thank you. Some of my blog posts I bust out in five or ten minutes with a quick glance over before I publish but this article I toiled over and stressed over more than I would like to admit.
I hear you. But really 5-10 minutes? Wow.
Have you gotten any responses from readers of the paper?
I mull over most of my posts in my head for a day or so but the actual writing is pretty quick. I only blog when the inspiration strikes (and I have the time) so having to write on a deadline and having to write something that is deemed “good” by the editor, is something I have no experience with.
I have gotten a few emails and one comment. I don’t think newspaper writing is at all the fun give and take that blogging is. It seems to be much more one way with little feedback (although I have gotten over 60 FB likes on the newspapers site and lots of personal comments on my FB page.)
It’s definitely not as personal – that’s for sure.
I have written some op-ed articles and I have seen some letters to the editor based on them – kind of cool. 60 Facebook likes – wow!
Wow – letters to the editor – very cool!
Yup!
So glad I found your blog…. I enjoyed your first news article… good for you! As a retired elementary and high school teacher, I can easily say…. You’re gonna love it! “)
Thank you! Glad you found me too and that you took the time to read my article.
I think teaching will be a great fit for me and I am glad to hear you say that I will love it!
oops I missed the colon (eyeballs) 🙂
Hehehe – 😉
Wow, beautifully written! Good luck on your studies; it must be tough when you want to play with Carter and Cody!
Thanks. It is super tough to think about putting them in after school care – it makes me want to cry! Our neighbor’s daughter, who has been our babysitter for years, is going to be able to watch them for most of the summer while I am in classes. I will miss hanging with them but they love their babysitter and I trust her so it will be less stressful that the after school programs which I know nothing about.
Shoes – how excellent to have the bi-line “Contributing Writer” and to be able to share your writing with a larger audience. The title chosen by the newspaper sounds like it is part of a voice over from a made for TV movie, “A young mother finds herself in several worlds. Will she be able to break free of the heartache that is shattering her apart? Watch “Divided” on Sunday at 8, 7 central. Only on Lifetime.”
Hahahaha – that is brilliant!! I can hear the dramatic music playing in the background as the voice over rolls. But really, you don’t think I would make prime time TV? 😉
It was a great article! So if we can’t call you Shoes over there, can we call you by your real name here? 😉 Just kidding. I will continue to call you Lauren. Just because.
Heck no! You may continue to call me Lauren although I may forget and not respond. 😉
Glad you liked the article. My deadline for the next one is three weeks away and I am already freaking out about what to write about. I never plan ahead my posts, they just come to me. I am hoping it works the same way with my newspaper articles. I am tossing around the idea of writing an article about Dexter…
I bet it works the same way. If you are like me though, sometimes you will start it and then it leads to something else…LOL I have something like 25 drafts in my dashboard. 🙂
I wish I had 25 drafts, but alas I have only one – about the trip to SD to see my dad’s childhood homes – that I just can’t finish.
I write in the now. If something funny happens today I write about it and post it that night. It is hard for me to write for a future publication date. I have no idea why this is but it is something I need to work on.
Dear Shoes,
I’m just stopping by to wish you CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Getting a byline sure is something to celebrate! And that was a really great article. I love your writing and the thoughts behind it. I wish you all the success in the world. You go girl! Sharon
Thank you!!! It is quite the exciting event. I have been struggling with my second article rewrite this week while the deadline looms large and dark in front of me. I am not entirely sure I am cut out for newspaper writing but it is so great to be given the opportunity to try it.