My name is Cindy Thrasher. By day, I am a banker (community, not Wall Street) and by night I am a closet writer. I am either staring at a computer screen while I wait for the words to appear before me (it is magic, is it not?), or I am fantasizing that I was successful and wrote a masterpiece of unsurpassed brilliance!

So, as delusional as I am, I joined Helium in a desperate attempt to come to terms with this unrelenting compulsion to play with words. It is a worn cliche, I know, but words on paper are the same to me as watercolor...and I relish each and every syllable that finds its way onto a blank page. I want to be better than I am, and Helium offers me a safe environment to experiment, and gain objective, valuable feedback. With so many resources available here, I know I can only improve over time.

Right now, I trust that someday my fantasy will morph into reality, and it will turn out that it wasn't as hard as I thought. And then, I can help someone else find their way out of that closet and realize their own dreams of becoming a writer.

Now, wouldn't that be fun?!

My passion is ...

Learning new things. I am anxious to learn all that I can before I die, and since tomorrow is not guaranteed, I feel compelled to soak up all that each day brings.

I know too much about ...

Nothing - I don't believe one can know too much about anything - good or bad. There is always something better around the next corner, and things can always be worse!

My parents always told me ...

I am an individual and what applies to someone else may not apply to me.

My childhood ambition ...

Teacher

My favorite memory ...

When my grandson was born.

Why I write ...

Sometimes, I think I write because I love to torture myself...it is always an agonizing process. But, the pain is worth the feeling of accomplishment that I get when that which has been fermenting inside me has miraculously materialized on paper.

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

At the moment, I am in the middle of reading the fourth book in the Harry Potter series, a primer of philosophy, a book on writing and several magazines.

My first job ...

Secretary on Saturdays when I was 17.

My best moment ...

The profound sense of accomplishment I felt when I got back to my hotel after my first day of sightseeing, by myself, in Paris, having successfully navigated the Metro without getting irretrievably lost.

My inspiration ...

My mother, who taught me how to laugh at myself, and see the world through a cup half full, not half empty.

Autos > Motorcycles & Scooters How to be safe on a motorcycle

1 of 17

In the current economic environment, many folks are choosing to divest themselves of their gas-guzzling SUV or pick-up truck in favor of smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. Others have chosen to purchase motorcycles for even greater fuel economy. If you are one of the latter, then safety absolutely needs to be at the top of your priority list. Here are a few tips to help you stay, as they say, shiny side up.

TAKE A MOTORCYCLE SAFETY COURSE. Motorcycle safety courses are offered in every state except Idaho and taught by experienced instructors. They allow the beginner (or the no-so-be...

More..