I am 25 years old. I am a single mom of two fabulous (cough) children, a boy at five years old and a girl at two years old. Like black and white, it is amazing that they are both mine for their personalities are extreme opposites. (as my angel daughter sneaks candy under the blanket and doesn't think I know what she's doing - my son would just stare at me defiantly and shove it in his mouth, daring me to do something about it.)

Surprisingly it did not occur to me until I was 19 that I would like to write for a living, as I had always been the writer in the family, in school, and in the community.

Now 6 years later and I've done retail, restaurants, law firms, sang professionally, and miscellanous other to support my children and I while I fight my way into the writing world. I have had two books published, but am still so far from being able to pay my bills with what I make. My jobs don't last long, usually about a year or so, because there is only one thing I really enjoy - like a bird who longs to fly stuck in a cage, I patiently await that moment when the door is opened and then I go flying like a bird out of hell, looking for my escape. Then I am caught and returned to my cage. My children love it when "Mommy is inbetween jobs" though, because we get to spend some quality time together, and I get to pretend that writing is my job for a little while before returning to reality. I am still trying to understand the whole reasoning behind working my butt off in order to pay someone else to raise my kids. If I made what I pay out weekly to a sitter, we would live comfortably t o g e t h e r.

I've been married and will eventually divorce. I've been a single mom since my son was born, almost six years now. Noone as of yet has been able to break into our circle of love ... and remain. (my son is quite the hellion - a disabled child prone to bad behavior and fits of rage)

I have been unemployed for two months now after a troubling experience at the law firm and my inability to find new work. My children and I are quite content at the moment. When Christmas time came and I told my son that I needed to return to work to make some money so that he and his sister could have a Christmas, he said to me. "Mommy, don't go back to work. Stay with me. I don't want Christmas anyway." It shows you all that society forces us to sacrifice and give up in face of the rich becoming richer.

My passion is ...

Writing and Knowledge

I know too much about ...

Maintaining a smile through hardship and struggles

My parents always told me ...

That there were leg men, butt men, and boob men - I would get the butt men. Ha ha.

My childhood ambition ...

To learn everything there is to know.

My favorite memory ...

Two people bound by the chains forged around their ankles and stuck in those ever-sinking sands of the past, wading to our chin in the ocean in late September, stark naked, my friend's frozen arms around me, stark naked, watching the sunset as if we were the only people in the world that existed - F R E E D O M!

Why I write ...

Because I'm a woman and have a lot to say, but noone will listen.

My first job ...

A buser at the Calvary Club to the infamous McDonalds.

My best moment ...

Making my vows to the man I married while my 1 year old daughter got into the trash can because we could neither find someone to babysit, or someone to witness our wedding. I promise to love and cherish you till - Child, get out of the garbage can.

My inspiration ...

My families struggles and tragedies, my children, my God

Health & Fitness > Emotional Health & Wellbeing Dealing with social phobia

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According to the National Institute of Mental Health, social phobia affects 5.3 million adult Americans in any given year. It is also known as a social anxiety disorder and can be specific (certain situations) or generalized (all situations). According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, social phobia is a persistent fear of one or more situations in which the person is exposed to possibly scrutiny by others and fears that he or she may do something or act in a way that will be humiliating or embarrassing. It can be dehabilitating without treatment.

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