Why am I doing this?

Over the past few days since I've shared my blog with family and friends, the most common question I get is "what made you want to start a blog?". Well, here's the answer.

Pretty much since day one of my work life (I started at age 15 at McDonalds and have worked almost non-stop since), I have felt like a character on the show "The Office". For those of you that have not seen the show, my youngest sister tells me the BBC version is better than the American version. I find that hard to believe, since I can laugh out loud for an entire half hour of the American version. In any case, I always thought it would be great to write short stories or a novel about work and all of the crazy things that go on in an eight hour day. Then about 10 years ago, I started working in the disability arena. People who can't work anymore due to physical or psychological reasons file for income replacement and I review their applications for benefits. I have always found the things that people say in their applications, as well as the things doctors put in their reports, to be a great read. Each claim folder I pick up has the medical life story of a person within those documents. I always feel like I'm reading a new book each time I open up the next case file in the endless stack on my desk (job security).

Some of the things you read in a disability file are funny. Take for example the office note I read today that said "the patient has not seen a doctor in two years as he only had money for the necessities in life, alcohol and cigarettes". And some of the things you see in a file are very sweet. Like the woman who was explaining what things she could no longer do now that she's disabled (due to blindness). She listed "...drive, sew, knit, see my husband's face...".

In any case, I've always wondered if others might be interested in what I read during my work-day since I find it so mesmerizing. But I've been warned against that. I'm not supposed to write about my co-workers, or my jobs, until after I'm retired and won't risk a potential loss of the employment I so much love. In the meantime, if I'm going to write a book in the future, I'll need some practice and some honest feedback. So I'm opening myself up for both with this blog. Feel free to give it to me straight (or crooked), while I do the practicing part. I can take the feedback. In fact, someone at one of my jobs once said "feedback is the breakfast of champions" - blah, blah, blah...