The 5 W's

Who? What? Where? When? Why? Sometime, many years ago, when I was in a reading class in elementary school, I remember that I was taught to always ask these questions when I read something. Read a paragraph out of the grade 2 reading workbook? Well then you have to answer these questions. I think it was a way to get us to begin to think critically about what we were reading, now that we actually knew how to read. And I thought the hard part was over! The 5 W's re-emerged when I was in charge of making my own invitations for my birthday party. I had a pile of construction paper, a glue stick and some glitter laid out on the table in front of me. I spent all of this time making sure that the Care bear on the front was drawn and glittered up properly. Then I was absolutely stumped about what to put in it. I remember my mom telling me, "Just use the 5 W's--list them out and you'll have all the info they need." In the 20 or so years since, I have used the 5 W's in many situations, including the ads for the Prom Fashion Show, the announcements at chapter meetings about the volunteer activities I planned, and again in grad school for the email fliers about the annual bar crawl. So many times, when I am at a loss at how to start something, I use the 5 W's and it has never failed me.

So that leads me to today. I am about 5 days away from turning the big 3-0. And it's occurred to me that there are a lot of things that I want to accomplish in this next decade of my life. I also want to reflect on some of the things I've accomplished in the past 30 years. So while I was laying in bed last night, it occurred to me that instead of keeping a classic journal--with pen and paper--I'd embrace technology and record my thoughts on a blog. Now anyone who knows me will be shocked at reading this. I was one of the last people I know to get an email address. I didn't really become computer savvy until grad school, when it became a necessity. Furthermore, I still refuse to acknowledge the existence, let alone the utility of Twitter. But I'm going to embrace technology here.

About 2 seconds after this blog idea took form, I almost immediately talked myself out of doing it. "Who the hell will read it? I'll be devastated if no one ever reads it! I don't have anything interesting to say." Well, I don't care if anyone ever reads this thing. It would be nice, but, oh well if it doesn't happen. I'll use this as my journal and journals are never read by anyone unless you are under the age of 16 and have a nosy sibling. Or you do something amazing that merits people actually being interested in what you had to say. Oh, and of course, I asked myself, "How do I even start?" So here it goes.

Who? Amanda L. Boehm. I am a science nerd. I have 2 cats. (You'll hear more about them soon enough.) I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. My family and friends are the most important thing to me. That, in a few words, is who I am. But I'm so much more. And that will come in time.

What? A blog. A journal. A way to get all of my thoughts and impressions on the world down in black and white. I want to talk about me and what I do. Maybe talk about an interesting article on cancer that I read or a great recipe or maybe one of those wonderfully thought provoking philosophical questions that always annoy the hell out of me. An exercise in thinking and writing.

Where? Well, here on this blog.

When? Whenever I have something on my mind.

Why? Because it could be awesome in another 30 years to have something to show my kids or gran kids that records who I was before I became that crazy lady with the blue hair and an ornery attitude.

So if you are reading this, you have been officially invited to my blog. Hope you enjoy it!