Attentively Attentive to all Things

Many acquaintances and coworkers have asked my opinion of the Healthcare Reform Bill , mostly because of my position as a Patient Account Representative at our local clinic.  To be honest, while I followed the coverage to see if it would pass, I hadn't paid much attention to the details of the bill.  I'm under no delusions that the United States Government has my best interests at heart, but that being said, I'm not a Republican.  I agree the Healthcare system is badly broken and needs to be fixed, and it will take the government to straighten it out and make it fair for everyone.  Insurance companies do not look out for their insured’s best interest and health, regardless of what they tell you.  I see too many instances of surgery being denied and the patient limping away, only to injure themselves because of their instability and go through more surgery later that was emergent. They deny care everyday to thousands of individuals, citing their medical policies and review b...

Yesterday evening I attended rehearsal for the 2010 SMWC Ring Day Ceremony . This event will take place tomorrow- *gasp*! Distance students, graduate students and the campus Junior class all mingled in preparation for this ceremony. I can happily say the campus students were very welcoming to those who only show up a few times a year. We walked up and down the aisles of The Church of the Immaculate Conception about twenty or so times, making sure our processional and recessional was perfect. I swear the music was from The Sound of Music , and expected at any moment to hear "How do you solve a problem like Maria?". We sang the Ring Song , once very badly, and another time quite well, with the help of the SMWC Madrigals. During this I learned that we have all much in common despite being from a multitude of different age ranges and goals in life, and my shoes are very uncomfortable when standing for long periods of time. Oy. In an earlier post I talked about how long it's t...

So I am about to take the leap into website writing, or what you may recognize as content writing . In a recent interview with the career center at my university, where I conveyed my panic to the director of the career center because I don't have any practical experience to back up my love for reading, writing, etc., I was given many ideas to further my knowledge outside the "classroom" and gain some experience. Talking with other writers within the college, speaking with publicity and see if they needed a creative writer for any of their projects, chatting with the head grant writer, speaking with alumni who work in the publishing industry... The list is long and the people on it are strangers to me. Ergo, my first dip into the frigid waters of cold calling, or cold emailing, in this case. Brr! One of those ideas that has bore the most fruit was to assist in the rewriting of several pages on SMWC 's website, mostly the majors and minors. Okay...I can do that, I think...

As many of you know, I am a HUGE Jane Austen fan, and an avid reader of Jane Austen fan fiction (JAFF) and sometimes writer of them as well. This little addition helped fuel my passion for writing and I only have Amber and her beloved Hyacinth Gardens to "thank" for that. Since my introduction to this genre, I have spent many happy years reading about Darcy and Elizabeth, in many, many different forms- duchess, cowboy, journalist, cellist, etc. The creativity of those who write JAFF astounds me, and I commend the entire JAFF community for such artistic works. One never knows what to expect, or what kind of twist you'll see next. This humble writer could never aspire to such talent as seen on many JAFF sites. What is it about these characters that inspires us so? The majority of JAFF are stories based on Pride and Prejudice , Austen's most popular novel. Darcy and Elizabeth have a tight hold over readers and writers, and those who dare to stray from cannon Darcy shoul...

In a little over a week, I will become one of the many who wear a St. Mary-of-the-Woods College class ring . It's a well-recognized piece of jewelry, and symbolizes my academic achievement. Of course, I've not completely achieved what I want academically, but I guess it will show that I am on my way. I've determined I won't graduate until 2012, and while that may seem a long way off, when I look at the amount of classes I have left to complete in between now and then, I start to panic...only slightly. It will pass... This is something I've worked very long and hard for. I can't remember when I decided I wanted to go to SMWC , as I had spent time at two other local colleges trying to obtain an education. Community college- Ivy Tech - worked well, but it didn't give me what I wanted, and I could only get an Associates degree. Nothing against Associates degrees or anyone that gets them, but I wanted more, and I couldn't explain why- it was just what I wante...