Currently, I am the public relations assistant at Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley. One of my primary job functions is blogging. I post stories to the organization’s website under the blog tab of “Make Things Happen.” The majority of my posts deal with matters of the disability community. It was my hope attending the conference that it would help me strengthen my craft as a writer, both professionally and personally.
I must admit, I didn’t know much about Erma going in as a new attendee. She passed away before I really was interested in reading newspapers. Then I attended the conference meet-and-greet, I knew she’d had to be someone special for writers from all over the United States to be drawn to her conference.
I also knew she had to be a force of nature, because she and my mother share the same name. If she was as feisty as my Erma, I was up for a serious learning experience.
As numerous presenters begin speak about Erma, I quickly learned why so many people related to her stories. A longtime newspaper columnist who got her start here and went on to national fame, the Dayton native wrote about her everyday life and shared the humor of just living life as it happens. Erma was a wife, mother, author and activist supporting women’s rights.
By the second day of the conference, I was in full swing ready to learn new and exciting techniques for writing. I attended many sessions, from learning the about the so-called antidote of writing, how to tell your own story, and “Erma 101.”
Putting thoughts onto paper is difficult at times. It’s really hard when your subject matter deals with life and some of its great problems that it brings. Erma provided an outlet for an African-American woman with a disability such as myself to write freely and share life as I live it on my terms.
Every situation that challenges you may bring a bundle of negativities — but Erma taught us that if you can just look a little deeper, there’s a buried treasure that will make us smile and perhaps even chuckle.
The greatest takeaway I got from the conference is that I’m writing to share my voice and ideas for me. The bonus of this writing adventure is people like you who take the time and trouble to read it. There’s nothing better than to be able to share things that are going on in everyday society with a community that appreciates it.
I went in not knowing a great deal about Erma — but she is now embedded in my mind. Thank you, Erma Bombeck. I have much more confidence in myself as a writer.
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