Horn Tooting by Susan L.

  I had a nice letter from my contact at the local paper (www.allistonherald.com) thanking me for doing my monthly column on mental health. It's like a mini Christmas because I never know which week it will appear. I, in turn, thanked the paper for giving me the opportunity to do what has become a very successful outreach for the Krasman Centre. There's been new people in and phone calls from those who hadn't known we existed.
  We have tried so many things as outreach. Even putting a table in the local home show didn't have the results we had hoped for. Flyers posted on bulletin boards throughout the town, personal visits to the various doctors and clinics barely had an impact. Word of mouth has been the greatest way of getting our name out there. It had become very frustrating because the common statement from almost every one who comes in is "I wish I had known you were here a long time ago."
 We've been our current location for a good number of years although we weren't always the Krasman Centre. We were a drop-in just the same with similar ideals. It is sad that the more medically based organizations in town undervalue the impact of a peer support environment. But that's a whole other issue.
  This little three hundred odd word column has boosted my confidence as a writer. They have been published just as I have written them with no edits or corrections. It's nice that they contain a piece of me and aren't simply a dry piece of information with no personal connection. I am glad the paper let it be that way because it makes it a whole lot easier to write from a peer perspective.
  It's not something I think about too much, being good I mean. In a way, I do take my creativity for granted. Like the art, the words are simply there. Like the art, sitting and waiting on the Lord enables the paintbrush of words to decorate the page. They are a gift I like to share, to use to bring joy to others or as a way of expressing myself.
  What is stopping me from finishing one of the books I have started but ended up overwhelmed by the size of them? What is stopping me from sending one of my children's stories to an editor or publisher? Perhaps I need a writing buddy to hold me accountable and give me deadlines. Or maybe I need to take a writer's course to learn the trade better. Hmm, that's a thought. I think I'd like to do that.
  I've got internet at home now. An online course with project deadlines just might be the ticket to finding some sort of potential income through writing. It's all about confidence isn't it?
  "But whatever house you enter, first say "Peace to this house." And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the labourer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house." Lk 10:5-7