Pittsburgh City Paper Vol. 16, No. 32

Mary Miller makes dance with something to say.

Mary Miller makes dance with something to say.

Who am I???

 I am a writer. For as long as I can remember, writing has been a part of my DNA - from the first song I wrote as a kindergartener ("Jesus, Jesus, Jesus" were the lyrics by the way) to this very moment; I am a writer. Writing is my main, most effective source of communication where my voice can be heard and I can be best understood. This may come as a huge surprise to those who know me because, quite frankly, I'm a talker as well! However, it is through writing that I can make sense of the world around me. Writing forces me to pause, reflect, soak it all in, then get my feelings out. Writing is how I discipline myself to be quick to listen and slow to speak.

In retrospect, I can clearly see specific moments throughout my life where my writing has been in the forefront. I received the "Neatest Handwriting Award" in the 4th grade and you would have thought I won a gold medal at the Olympics (Winter, Summer, you choose the sport!)! Now granted, that was recognition for penmenship, not content, but it was positive recognition for writing nonetheless. But perhaps the first, most pogniant memory I have of my writing occured in middle school. Although my memory is vague, the key parts remain in my mind. Something happened in a class that I thought was terribly unfair. (I know, very vague.) I mulled over it for days and was ultimately at a loss for what to do about the situation. After all, this was a teacher I was up against and I was just a student. I went to my Mom for advice and she said something that would forever change my life. She said, "Nikki (my nickname), why don't you write her a letter? You're a good writer and that will give you a chance to think things through and express yourself clearly." So, that's exactly what I did and wouldn't you know the teacher was so impressed and thanked me for my honesty. She actually said I helped her to look at her current teaching practices and make adjustments! Wow!!! It was in that moment that I realized there was some awesome power in my hand!

As life continued to take me on different journeys, I would always find a place for writing, whether it be through writing lyrics to writing in my journal, to becoming a freelance dance writer and so much more in between. Now, here I am about to reveal a secret to the world...I have always dreamed of becoming a writer. I mean an official author. I have dreamed of writing articles (more than my 2 freelance gigs) and books. I have dreamed of sitting out on the beach with a laptop and some coffee and letting the good times roll! I know, I know, talk about living on the edge. Right?! But every time I would start to take a dive into this grand adventure, I would freeze. I would reason my way out of it somehow and next thing I knew, I was dreaming about it again years later. Well, something has changed folks. I know it will sound cliche, but I had a baby and whenever I look into my precious daughter's eyes, I think to myself, "I want to be able to tell her she can do anything she sets her mind to in life. The sky is the limit!" Really?! How can I tell her this if I'm not putting my own sermon into practice?! I have vowed not to be the parent that says that dreadful phrase, "Do as I say, not as I do." So here I am. About to embark on a journey I've already been on, but this time I'm not just taking the easy road. You know the roads that go straight with little scenery? No, I'm about to make a turn and travel along the windy roads, with the beautiful scenery, and I'm turning off the GPS! I don't know where these roads will take me, but I do know one thing. I can always write about it!