And this is how it started…

I can remember at a very young age that I loved words and I loved stories. I suppose my parents would agree since I seemed to use too many of them, too often. In my mind, the world was a place to be explored and there were so many things to learn! Growing up in rural Tennessee, I not only found solace in the natural world around me, but also in learning how things worked. It was not unusual for me to go on some made-up grand adventure with my little sister in tow, traipsing through the woods behind my grandmother’s house, making the story up as I went along. I was wild and free to explore the natural world during those muggy, midsummer days. It created in me a sense of wonder that I hope never leaves me. In so many ways, the advent of technology, I fear, has changed the opportunity for our youth to experience boredom. Boredom often begets ingenuity and sometimes a bit of trouble on a hot Summer day in Tennessee when a young girl and her sister are building forts and playing in the woods until dusk…but that’s a story for another day, I suppose.