We Are Not Alone

"The Lone Woman Diaries" exist because I'm the sole woman in my immediate family, but the truth is I'm really not the lone woman in my house. My mother-in-law lives with me, and for a while so did my mother and my sister. I have sisters and cousins and friends who are female, and when I posted my first entry in the Diaries and got a response, in essence I ceased to be "lone."

The Internet has allowed me to make connections and form friendships with people I would otherwise never have met. It eliminates distance and distractions, and distills that which we have in common into a kernel of truth: we are not alone.

My experiences are personal and filtered through my own lens, but when I write about them I hope you recognize something universal in what I'm feeling. Because I believe that to be true, I've decided to start a new feature here at the Diaries. Beginning this month I'm launching "Working Wednesday." It's going to focus on what many of us have been experiencing these last few years as we struggle through economic hard times.

I know that several of my readers are self-employed or creating their own businesses, and I want to give you an opportunity to learn about what they do. Sometimes we're very specific about what blogs we read and we aren't aware of the fantastic people and resources that lie beyond that scope. I encourage you to get to know the commenters around you, and investigate and support what they do. And if you or a friend (spread the word) would like to be featured in a "Working Wednesday" post, please email me and include a description of what you do!

Let's prove we're not alone.