About Me — Michelle Roberts
Is it bedtime yet?
I’m going to kick this off with 10 fun facts about myself, just to get us all warmed up:
- I’m currently reading ‘Wolves of the Calla’, the 6th book in Stephen King’s ‘Dark Tower’ series (if you take ‘The Wind Through the Keyhole’ into consideration). This will take the number of Stephen King books I’ve read to 30, including 2 books of short stories. Side note: I do read other authors!
- From 2012–2016 I worked as an Associate Consultant with a renowned recreational trails designer (mountain biking, walking, equestrian trails, etc.), a job which took me all over the world, including Australia, Ireland, and the Czech Republic, Poland and Norway.
- Last month we took delivery of our first hybrid car, a Honda Jazz. I’m loving automatic so much that I may never drive manual again. Plus, the fuel economy is amazing, especially considering today’s petrol prices.
- We have 4 pets - a dog, Darwin, 2 rescue guinea pigs, Chandler and Joey, and a Bearded Dragon called Starzl.
- I traveled to Molyvos in Greece twice to volunteer in the refugee camps during November 2015 and January 2016.
- I listen to a broad range of music but my favorite genre is indie folk.
- I’m totally new to writing poetry and haven’t read much poetry in the past. However, one of my favorite books as a child was a collection of poems by Michael Rosen, wonderfully named ‘Don’t Put Mustard in the Custard’.
- I turn 40 in September!
- I’ve completed a higher national diploma (first 2 years of a degree) in Biomedical Science at Bangor University — I stopped short of the full degree to have our son and haven’t returned yet.
- I’m a baby-wearing, breastfeeding, co-sleeping, cloth nappies kinda mummy.
If you’re still with me, I was brought up in a small slate mining town in North Wales in the UK, famous for rain. It’s a stunningly beautiful place, especially when the sun is shining, which it does occasionally. It’s surrounded by a horseshoe of mountains (the same mountains that keep the clouds and rain in!) making it an idyll for those who hike and climb. I speak fluent Welsh as a result of growing up there, for which I’ll always be thankful.
Just over 5 years ago I moved to the North Wales coast to live with my husband, then boyfriend. We have considerably less rain and more sun. My 13-year-old daughter splits her time 50/50 between our house and her father’s house back in my hometown.
My husband and I met in June 2016 through eHarmony (thank you so much eHarmony!), moved in together in May 2017, and married in April 2018.
Our son, Billy, was born in July 2020 — a lockdown baby. I’m incredibly grateful to be a stay-at-home mummy.
I originally joined Medium in 2019, wrote one story, and…………….. Well, and nothing to be honest. I’ve attempted to start a few blogs in the past 6 years; I was going about it all wrong. I was unemployed and trying to find a way to earn money from home; I ended up spending plenty of money on domain names, design elements, and other crap I didn’t need and making none. I enjoyed the writing but found it difficult (read boring) to write in a single niche that my blog should be specializing in. I was told the writing was good, but eventually, they all burned out to nothing.
Now, I’m writing for writing’s sake. I very recently started writing poetry and it amazes me how the words flow through me when the muse hits. I understand now what they mean about getting out of your own way. If my writing makes money, that’s cool, but it’s no longer a focus.
Our son was diagnosed with Down Syndrome soon after his birth; he’s the most amazing teacher I’ve ever known. I feel free to write what I feel; this includes sharing his story and working towards normalizing and reducing the stigma around Down Syndrome and promoting inclusivity. This week I submitted a children’s book manuscript dealing with these issues to 7 publishers — I’d be amazed if I get many positive responses, but the whole process has been worthwhile.
I feel I’ve just started to understand the community element of Medium, which you’re totally blind to when all you want is followers. I’ve been truly enjoying reading other people’s stories and poems; that’s what makes me richer, not the 5 pence I might earn from one of my poems.
I understand that some people aspire to make a living on the platform, and others might be successful; by default, their interactions here will be differently motivated. To them, I say good luck and well done, but for me at this moment, I’m happy to move slowly and write as the feeling takes me. It’s nice just to have people to share my writing with if anyone decides to read it.
