Intro To Me

Please allow me to introduce myself...Relax, I'm not the devil. I'm not an angel either. I'm Laurie and I thought I'd take this time to tell you about the only character I haven't written about...myself.

First off, I'm forty-three years old. Sigh...or at least I will be at the end of the month. That makes me a Libra. That fits, I like things to be balanced and have a strong sense of justice.

I'm happy to say that I'm 168 pounds. Don't sneer, that's three pounds lighter than I was a month ago. I try to exercise at least three times a week. Life happens and sometimes it doesn't work out. But at least I'm trying.

I have auburn hair with some streaks of silver/gray. It doesn't bother me to be turning gray. My husband asked me if I was going to color it. I replied, "I think I'll let it turn completely gray, then decide if I like it or not."

I'm the youngest of five Navy brats. Even after Dad retired, we still moved a lot. That made making friends difficult; I'm not a social butterfly. I find myself being jealous of people who are. Normally in social situations (like a barbeque) I don't talk much, especially if I don't know the people well. I'd rather people talk about themselves.

I have an A.A. in Theater Arts. I tried pursuing a Bachelors degree, and almost had it. Then I quit to have my daughter. Funny, I was close to getting my B.A. when I realized that I hadn't chosen a minor! I chose writing--don't remember why, exactly. Fortunately my creative writing instructor also taught the creative non-fiction class I'd taken a semester before. Seeing a familiar face reduced my stress.

I'm married to--wait for it--my best friend. Trite, but true. He's my closest confidant, a shoulder to cry on, someone to straighten out my head when I needed it. I don't know what my life would be like without him. Wanna hear something strange? We almost met three or four times, before we really met. When we were kids, we attended the same schools. We lived in the same town, but miles apart. Finally we met when we were working at the same hotel. It was there that I asked him out. But not before I eavesdropped on his conversations for a month...to get to know him. Recon work I have never regretted. We're celebrating our fifteenth wedding anniversary this month.

When it comes to writing I've made a decision. I finally got it through my thick skull that if I have two or three stories bouncing around in my head at the same time, then that's how I should write them. I can't just put one aside. They're like kids, they all need my attention.

What I like: Fair Trade chocolate and coffee. A good nights' sleep. Snuggling with my husband and daughter. Being positive. A clean house. Watching my words form a story. Listening to my Beagle snore. Farmer's markets.

What makes me nervous: talking to people I don't know (not sure if my views are strong enough.) Cops following me, although I'm not doing anything wrong. Being weighed. Confrontation. Shopping for clothes.

What I hate: the direction this country is going. The recession. Denial of the recession. Cancer. The glorification of violence. (Necessary at times, but does it have to be the only way to solve a problem?) Vacuuming. Having to tell my daughter that someone we love has died.

What I love: my family. Reading, writing, editing, research. Seeing kids dressed up for Halloween. The sound of my Mom's voice. Writing, theater and music that stands the test of time.

What I admire: people with enough inner strength to be who they really are. Self-confidence. Intelligence. Self-reliance.

What scares the hell out of me: dementia, death, divorce.

My attitudes toward sex: highly personal. I have spent half a lifetime denying my passions. It's only been in the last twenty years I've been honest with myself. And that's as much as you need to know. However...writing about sex is a whole other story. Some of my stories have erotic elements in them. If two characters are having sex, I try to not describe what they're doing by using words found on a bathroom wall. Unless they talk that way.

I enjoy writing that makes me feel like I'm there. I recommend not reading the work of John Cheever while you're suffering from depression. He's good, but when you're upset, it's like gas on a fire. Instead, try Erma Bombeck. She makes me laugh until I hurt.

Hope this gives you a glimpse--or explanation--of who Laurie Fields is.