Writing A Bridge to...?

Hello there, everyone!!   My name, new friends, is Danica Rice, and I'm a writer, author, and now, a blogger!  A good way for me to begin this blog would, I'd imagine, be to tell you all a bit about myself and share the reason why I named this blog what I did!   "Writing a Bridge" means a great deal of things to me. It came to me as I strove to think of a blog title, because really, my goal is to build a bridge of all sorts, bridging the gaps between many different types of people. First, a fact that is absolutely core and central to my identity, is the fact that I am, in fact, profoundly Deaf. You may wonder why I capitalize Deaf..... I will be happy to elaborate on that point later, as it's another post in itself, I reckon!  But, yes, I am. As far as we know, I've been Deaf since birth.  Please, don't feel sorry for me.... Deafness is part of who I am, my identity, and I welcome it, as if I weren't Deaf, I wouldn't have met the many amazing people who have moved and shaped my life to be what it is today. Not to mention the awesome Deaf friends I've met, who otherwise I would very likely not know!  Most especially (shout out?!?) Stacey Head, Holly Hartman and Diedre Tubb, the most motley crew of Deafies I grew up with...  I'll have to tell you stories about them all later..... (Die, Stace and Hollster, be afraid, be very afraid ;-)  I kid....or do I?!)   

I digress..  I've loved writing ever since I was a kid.. Though when I was a kid, I said I hated it.. Why? My hand always hurt!  That was in the days before computers populated classrooms and we were forced to use such archaic measures as pen and paper... Oh the torture! ;)    Anyway, back to the goal of what this blog is all about...  My goal is to eventually become a published author, so therefore, I'd like to create a bridge between my currently unpublished status, and my future published status!  That, and I strongly stand for and believe in the importance of words and communication... that is born of many things, not limited to my love for reading, but also, the communication barriers I've confronted on a daily basis, being Deaf!  My parents have always said things like "your writing will create a bridge between the hearing and the Deaf worlds.." for, they truly are different worlds... but yet, Deafness is not so different.  As a famous role model in the Deaf community once said, "The only thing the Deaf cannot do, is hear."  That is SO true.  Nothing makes us any different than hearing folks, except that one solitary fact.  So my writing, I hope to create that bridge between the two worlds and hopefully help you understand me, and what Deafness is all about a bit better.. but I also wish to create a bridge between writers and readers.... For they are undoubtedly linked.... There may even, arguably, be already a bridge existent there, but I think part of my goal here will be to share my thoughts of varying books and my life as a lifelong reader, and how that's affected me as a writer....

Connections, they're constant. Everywhere you turn, there are connections.  Your mind even forms connections and relationships without your even thinking about it!  It's a crazy thing how humans associate things that cause them pain, with other things.... all because of the way our minds work... Cats and dogs don't think that way...... They simply learn by doing and experiencing.  Us humans are indelibly marked by what painful and joyful experiences we have...  Therefore, if we don't figure out a way to accept those challenges and relational thinking associated with the negative in life, well, that just means that we can't experience joy.  Isn't that sad?  Our minds are focused on fixing the problem which is "why do i keep thinking negative thigns, why do i think about so and so boyfriend or girlfriend?" .... and the brain tries to solve it... but the brain just can't solve emotions...  Crazy isn't it?   My therapist gave me this book that talks about this... maybe I'll go into more detail later, but this is my first post, I don't want you all to think I'm nuts!?    (Book-  Get Out of Your Mind And Into Your Life)

Ahem....  Now where was I? Connections?  Obviously a bridge is a connection and I am hoping and dreaming that by writing, I will meet some people who will join me in this journey as I attempt to build this bridge.... by writing about writing, life, books, love, anything and everything.  I hope you'll help me along this journey by joining me as I write a bridge from my soul to your hearts. 

See ya next time :D