Meet Kelly by Kelly Madden

Hello to all,
I've known Dane for years (when she was Lisa) and also some of you, but today I wanted to introduce myself to all. I figure anyone who knows Dane must be wild and wonderful. I know Dane's philosophies pretty well, and I loved Karen's post. What I wanted to write about today was a different kind of community, and a different way of helping. I used to work at Lilly (retired, yea!). I am a psychologist by training, and I mostly enjoyed my years doing that. I always thought I would continue with this path after I retired, and I did for awhile. But along the way something happened. Stories started to form in my head. Stories about strong women. Stories for young adults that gently taught life lessons. For awhile I tried to ignore these stories.

My training was as a scientist, a long, expensive training. I also felt that to stop being a psychologist was selfish. People needed me. But the stories wouldn't go away. I wrote a few down. That won't hurt anything, I told myself. You can still do your job. So I wrote some short stories. About twenty of them. Then one book. Then two more. I sold one. Then another. Then a lot more. Still, I thought to myself, writing fiction is a hobby. My REAL job is being a psychologist. I need to be out in the community helping people. So I carried on.

Then one day during a session a terrible and wonderful thing happened. The client gently said "where are you?" I wasn't paying attention! I was mortified. The client said, "Don't worry about it, you've been more than a help to me, just tell me...where were you?" I sheepishly replied I was writing a story in my head. He laughed and said then go write it. :-) I realized then I had to follow my heart, even though I still felt selfish about it. But I was so happy that feeling gradually went away. And I realized my stories about women and young people could help, even if I touched through my words and not my presence. And then I received a wonderful gift. Fan mail! The ones I treasure most are from people who say they felt just like one my characters, or that one of my stories inspired them.

All of this to say I learned three big lessons. One is that your life work can change. Two is that helping means many things. Three is that for me to receive external acknowledgment I had to give it to myself first.

I will sign off with something my grandmother said to me. Love and Bright Blessing on your head. Kelly