Amy "Raising Children Has Taught Me More Than Words Can Say"

First Name: Amy
Age: 45
Sign: Leo
I grew up in: I grew up on military bases all over the country and overseas.
I currently live in: Ohio
Occupation: Mom, writer
You can find me: skinny dipping at night in the pool of a friend who is out of town, running in a park field with my dog (fully clothed), in hideous bike shorts, gloves, riding my bike on a bike trail and singing off key to the songs on my iPod, in the organic section, in the no smoking section, laughing loudly on the phone, stopping for pedestrians on the crosswalk, holding up traffic to let a family of five ride their bikes across a busy street on their way to school, at the pet store fondling puppies I can't afford.
You will never find me: in a mosh pit; skydiving; mouthing off the elderly unless it's that guy that groped me in the library; in a plastic surgeon's waiting room; trying on maternity clothes; solving a mathematical equation on a chalkboard at MIT.
Your website or Charity you are passionate about: http://www.amymusings.com is my website and I am passionate about Heifer International. Donating to them helps fight hunger and poverty.

1.) What (person, goal, dream) gets you out of bed each day? What gets me out of bed each day is that window of time between dreams and wakefulness, that altered state, that isn't with me any other time of the day, when I hear my muse and I write until it has made me laugh or cry or think or see things in a different light, or put words to inklings or ideas jumbled up in my head

2.) What life experience has strengthened you the most? Raising children has taught me more than words can say. If I had a clone of myself and I could see the 45 year old clone with no children I don't think I would enjoy her company. I don't think we would have much in common. I don't know if we could appreciate each other.

3.) What would you want to change about yourself? I wish I didn't have ADHD. I would get a lot more accomplished. I would finish the projects I started before moving on to the next shiny object. I could listen longer without losing interest. I would stop chasing after that next mental stimulation and just be.

4.) What do you want to do before you die? Before I die, I want to write a book or two, go to the rainforest, fly a plane, take several months and drive up highway one in a teardrop camper. I've always admired wild crafters, people who know what plants in the woods are safe to eat and what they are good for. I would like to know how to wild craft so I could go off to some remote, gorgeous untouched piece of America, pretend this country is not overdeveloped, that it's still wide open unexplored territory, and live off the land, without hearing a chainsaw in the background or a truck backing up or a plane flying overhead, to remind me that my fantasy isn't real.

5.) What is your most prized possession? Geez, I don't have a most prized possession, but I hope that by saying that I haven't just given the Universe the green light to burn my house down so it can say "Liar! Look at you blubbering all those baby photos you never had time to put into albums. You could have run back into the living room where you probably would have shelved them and you'd have them in your hands right now. Wouldn't you?" I would like to think the Universe doesn't talk to me like that. Ever. I would like to think it only talks to me nicely, like when I get a parking spot closest to the door. Thanks, Universe! I really love that!