POWERPOINT

:a presentation program developed by Microsoft

I spent most of my time at work on Monday creating a PowerPoint presentation. In my previous life (i.e. before quitting work to stay at home), creating presentations was a large chunk of my job. In fact, other than writing proposals, it was my favorite part of my job. So it was fun to use the newer version of PowerPoint (which has changed since I left the full-time workforce nearly seven years ago) and it was interesting to think about my old job, who I was then and who I am now.

It's pretty evident to me in hindsight why I enjoyed writing proposals. I like to write. Until recently, I would have told you I liked to write "with a purpose." By that I meant that I had something concrete that needed to be communicated in a clear and concise way. Essentially, I liked business writing. I carried that enjoyment with me to the non-profit world and used it to write grants.

But along the way, I found that wasn't enough for me. Saying what my company or my organization needed me to say wasn't satisfying. I wanted to write for myself. My own thoughts, my own ponderings, my own musings. Often for no other reason than to write them. Hence the creation of this blog.

PowerPoint appeals to a similar side of me, I believe. It does require writing, but in a succinct fashion. I like thinking and writing in bullet points. I like finding the right colors and images to complement the text.

I like the discipline that I impose on myself in this blog of choosing one word as the title for each (non-fiction) post. It forces me to find one word that best sums up what I want to say. Sometimes, the word comes to me first. I hear a word and think "I should write about that." Other times, I have something I want to say and I have to decide what one word encapsulates my thoughts.

It's interesting to look back on who I was years ago and realize some of the things I liked reflected gifts I didn't even know I had. I knew I could write reasonably well, but I didn't know I was a writer. I still struggle sometimes to acknowledge that the way I am made is OK. I struggle to reconcile how to humbly acknowledge the unique gifts I have. But it's affirming to see those same gifts woven throughout my life, even when I wasn't aware they were there.