Short, sweet and to the point.

Still here. Running as fast as I can on the hamster wheel but not getting anywhere.


I have been working on an article that will be published in a magazine in December and it's taking a lot of my time. They want me to tell Maggie's story, what she is like, what it's like to raise her, the costs, financially, emotionally and socially etc. That's not a problem for me. Conveying her story in the allotted space is quite difficult, however. It should be about the length of this post - but to date I have written 643 posts describing those things. How do I get in all in one piece. When it is cut down to the right length, it feels sterile. When I add my style it is too long. Oh well, I will get there. 


I have not met the editor of this magazine. She and I have engaged in a lovely correspondence back and forth as the various drafts are sent. I realized the I might not be getting all the needed description of Maggie when, on about our 4th exchange she suggested I put in a quote from Maggie or a conversation the two of us have had and ended her note with  "the more I read the piece, the more I wanted to hear Maggie's voice too. " 


I looked at those words for a long time. 


How had I failed to convey that Maggie was non-verbal. How had I omitted this in all the correspondence we exchanged. I thought about what to say in return because I didn't want her to feel badly, this was my omission. I figured, the best way was to just say it outright. 


 "...it's interesting that you want to hear Maggie's voice....So do I. She is non verbal, but that is not the same as non communicative. " I went on to explain the dynavox, hand signals, facial expressions and the telepathy or whatever it is that is the basis of the communication between Maggie and me.  


Now she want to hear more about that, but it already needs to be shorter. By half. 


I have to get my shears and get back to work.