A note to readers from a writer who loves to write

Dear Readers,

Thank you so much for reading in this space each week. I enjoy writing and I want to write well, but it means so much more if I know someone is getting something out of it on the other end.

Some of you occasionally email me, and I appreciate the feedback. If you ever have an idea that should be explored or commented on, please let me know and I will consider it.

In addition, if there is an issue or an event that is specific to Northwest Arkansas that you think someone should be writing about, I would welcome your suggestions on that as well.

My writing experience began when I was in grade school, when my teacher assigned it.

Call me a nerd if you want, but I usually enjoyed English class and I welcomed the opportunity to produce a paragraph or an essay when it was assigned.

I understand that many people did not relish the idea of writing anything in school and they still don't want to write much as adults.

I get that. We are all different and we all have certain inclinations to excel in different ways.

But in my own experience, I wrote some things as a grade-school student simply because I wanted to, things written outside of school that were in no way a classroom requirement.

In the fourth grade I became interested in history -- in World War II in particular--and I started reading all I could about it in the library. For no particular reason, I began copying down facts about World War II from the World Book Encyclopedia.

I was interested in it, and wanted to write it down and perhaps pass it on.

And I've always been that way. There is something inside of me that wants to organize thoughts for others to read and contemplate.

I'm not like some individuals, who can write for years in a journal or in a diary and never have anyone read it.

No, if I write something, it is definitely done withthe intention of communicating to others. I want it to be read.

And that's one reason that I have always been drawn to journalism. I like reaching other people through the written word.

I'm fond of a Bible verse in Luke 1:3, which could be