My One-Year Anniversary

The Wizard of Oz always terrified me. I feared the flying monkeys and of course, the wicked witch. I was also disturbed that Dorothy was “stuck”—and despite asking her friends for help—they were unable to direct her home.

Inspired by Oprah, and in the midst of an existential wondering, I began my blog exactly one year ago today. I was searching for my passion. I was uncertain that I had one. And so I chose to write. I have always had lots of thoughts floating around in my brain and not enough shelf space to store all of them.

My writing came naturally.

And in the course of streaming my thoughts on to the page, I realized that I “knew” things. My perspective rubbed people—either intellectually, spiritually or humorously. Releasing my thoughts has opened the window for a few and broken glass for still fewer.  Disgorging personal convictions has freed me and allowed others to release what they thought were solitary emotions

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In the tiniest of ways, in the microcosm of Karenland, I have humbly become much of what I secretly aspired to be--an “Oprah,” a “Socrates,” a “Jerry Seinfeld.”

And I have learned a few things about “passions.” Money is not the catalyst. I have earned no money from by blog yet I feel well-paid. And more importantly I understand that “passions” are not necessarily lifelong commitments. A day will come when I will no longer feel the need to write. And when that day comes—it will be okay. All things have a beginning and an ending.

And while I feared a year ago that I had no passion nor had I ever had one, that is not true at all. I have had passions all my life---religion, education, interpersonal relationships, athletics---even my pets. All are topics I write about with frequency. They are what fuel me.

And like Dorothy discovering that the path home has been inside her all along, I too have discovered that my passion has been inside of me all along. I just didn’t know it. All passions live inside of you—not outside of you. It is why no one but you can direct your path. You are your own garden. Only you can reap what you sow.

For Dorothy home was as simple as clicking her ruby red heels. And for me my passion was and is as easy as clicking a black keyboard. And maybe for you it might possibly be, as simple as clicking on a blog post every day.