Are You A Blogger?
“You are very gifted in communication,” the priest said. “Are you a...blogger?” It’s funny that I have recently had a few people I don’t know recognize me as a blogger for ATX Catholic. I hadn’t paid that much attention to my writing. And it never occurred to me that I would be known. I used to be known in communications, sort of. But when I worked as a news reporter/anchor for KLBJ AM, KTRH AM and (very briefly) KUT FM News, I used a fake name. And all of those are radio stations. No one ever looks like what you imagine they look like on radio, so no one would ever guess who I was. I did not consider that I might be known in the future for my real name and based on a tiny picture on a website. But actually, the priest who was talking to me three paragraphs ago couldn’t have known me. He was talking to me in a confessional from behind the screen.
“Are you a blogger?” he asked. “Yes,” I said reluctantly. I forgot I did that. “The Lord wants you to write. For your penance, I want you to fully commit yourself to the door He has open for you.” I was stunned, for all the reasons I’ve already mentioned. It’s a great gift that after two painful years of asking the Lord what He wanted of me, He finally answered. It wasn’t the answer I thought it would be. But I am grateful for His blessing and His green light. What you’re reading now is my penance. I am committing myself to writing. Before, I had written under all kinds of insecurities: Will people read what I’ve written? Will it impact anyone? Will they like me? And now having the Lord‘s command, I feel freer (although not completely free) of those other questions. He told me to write. So I remember that I’m writing for an audience of One.