About Me

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”The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” – Mark Twain

The other day I clicked through to the blog of someone that had commented and read their latest post. It was interesting and well-written but I wasn’t sure how to take it. Was it intended to be a little humorous or totally serious? It reminded me of the importance of the about me section of blogs and how we can maybe do better job of filling them out so that readers can more easily sense of who we are.

Here’s what I usually include as a bio. “Wynne Leon is an optimist, an enthusiast of endurance sports and a woman intent in charting her own path. Which is a combination that has led to an unconventional life. When she was younger a life of adventure meant climbing mountains, traveling the world and being an entrepreneur. More recently, it’s been starting a family as a single parent at age 46, having another child at age 50 and adopting a highly-strung kitten, even though she really is a dog person. Her writing projects include technical computer manuals, articles about meditation and parenting, and Finding My Father’s Faith, a memoir about spirituality, solace and her relationship with her beloved father.”

I wrote it and then a friend of mine in marketing edited it. It’s more cutesy after that (the bit about the cat while I’m really a dog person) and less factual (who needed to know I have a degree in electrical engineering). It’s okay for when I need a short bio.

But I think we can do a better job of grounding people in our work. So for whoever wants to play along, here’s my suggestion. I’m going to try to write my story and do it in 1,000 words or less but with links to posts I’ve already written.

For anyone else that wants to do or has already done the same on their “about me” page or post, please link that page in the comments here. I’ll try to read and comment on as many as I can.

About Me

If I was a dog, I’d be a golden retriever: exuberantly joyful, family-friendly and always up for a walk. But I’ve done a lot of training so I don’t bowl people over with my enthusiasm and optimism. Especially myself. And that’s the key part of my story – that through meditation I’ve learned not to believe everything I think and I return to that every morning when I get up and meditate and then I do it all again.

kids meditating

I write about my kids a lot because I choose to become a single-parent and age 46 and again at 50, but I’m not a writer about parenting. Instead I’m aiming to capture the depth and meaning of life that I get to experience because my kids show me what it is like to be so Close the Source and unapologetically human. I write about what I learn when I look closely and see how they develop as people, as siblings, as my children and as a family. Wrapped in all of that is a core of pure love that I want to enjoy more deeply by sharing.

Spending the last seven years raising kids without a significant other has taught me self-compassion in a way that no relationship or practice ever has. It has also made me so appreciative of the blogging community because this exchange of creativity and companionship is so rich. Especially through the isolation of Covid, I am so grateful for the deep and abiding relationships that I’ve been able to make on this journey of self-discovery.

I’ve listened to my inner God voice for three significant decisions. First to start climbing mountains when I was in my late 20’s. Second to interview and record my dad’s stories which eventually became a book I wrote after he died suddenly in a bike accident and to figure out what made him such a joyful person. And third to have kids as a single person in my mid-forties instead of rushing into a relationship that wasn’t right. In all three, that deep conviction that I was doing what I was meant to do has carried me through the tough moments.

ice at Everest base camp

I am an endurance person. I can dig deep to take small steps with heavy loads on a regular basis. I’ve accepted that I’m not a high-speed athlete. But I have learned that I don’t always have to carry everything with me but instead lean in to what is weighing me down to unpack it and lighten the load.

The Back Story

I’m the youngest of three kids in a family with a dad who was a Presbyterian pastor and a mom who was incredibly smart and might be a CIA spy (now retired). Would there be a better cover for a spy than a pastor’s wife?

My brother is oldest. I adored him growing up and still do. My older sister hated me growing up –resented might be a better word. The lessons I learned from that adverse relationship are so powerful, especially as I parent my children to care for each other. In many ways, my sister was my first teacher about how instructive our wounds can be when we do the work to heal from them.  When my dad suddenly died in a bike accident in 2014, it felt like all her complaints over all the years growing up, bubbled out. We’ve never managed to put it back together.

I’ve been divorced longer (10 years) than I was married (8 years) so it doesn’t feel like much of my story any longer except for two things for which I am so thankful:

  1. Going through divorce, or maybe more specifically the unhappy years of my marriage, drove me to meditation
  2. When I decided that I wanted to have kids post-divorce and I was in my mid-40’s, I didn’t want to rush into a relationship in order to have them. So I choose to have them as a single person instead. I still enthusiastically believe in love and that I’ll one day find the perfectly imperfect man when the time is right.
me with my kids

But because I don’t think often about my marriage, divorce and coming to choose single parenthood, I’ve gathered from some common questions that I get from people I’ve met later in life that I fail to give some proper background. So here are the answers to the questions I get:

  • I got divorced when my husband’s best friend told me about his infidelities. In the aftermath, all my husband wanted to talk about was how his friend betrayed him. And I couldn’t sustain enough outrage to insist we talk about how my husband betrayed me because he could always outdo any dramatic fervor.
  • That was the story I believed until I started meditating. Then in emptying the pockets of grief I realized that I needed to own how badly I wanted out of that marriage that both starved and suffocated me. Starved because my husband needed all the attention and suffocated because he needed all my attention. But in meditation, I discovered how freeing it was to own my part in the end of the marriage – and also a way to practice focusing my mind on the right stories and questions.
  • I had my kids at age 46 and again at age 50 through invitro fertilization. I choose the sperm donor from a bank that provided more complete information that I’ve ever had for anyone that I have dated. Maybe even more than I know for my lifelong friends.

So, that’s my stab at About Me. What do you think? If you want to link to your about page or post, leave a link below.

47 thoughts on “About Me”

  1. Pingback: Ch-ch-changes - Wise & Shine

  2. This is astonishing, Wynne. I the blogging world was not so full of exaggeration, that statement would stand out more. Your oppeness puts me to shame, and I am a pretty open person. Your optimism prevails despite major losses. I am proud and lucky to know you.

    Liked by 4 people

  3. One word about you. Courage! You are the most courageous person I never met! You’ve grabbed a hold of the fire in your soul and created a blaze so bright that you light the way for others. Thank you for baring your soul for all to see. The more of you we see, the more of you there is to love!

    Liked by 4 people

  4. I fully agree with Dr. Stein and Julia. This is so beautiful and the transparency is beautiful, offering both you and your readers the opportunity to explore experience , emotion, and all the stepping stones that led you to today. ❤️ I might just take a stab at something similar. This is so fun!

    Liked by 2 people

  5. Thank you for expanding on your back story. I’ve read parts of it, but some of the behind the stuff is new. I am thankful to have crossed your path in the blog world! There is a spark about you that is contagious,

    Liked by 1 person

  6. You amaze me. Just as Doug, Erin, Julia and Dr. Stein have said — your transparency and inspiration to others literally reverberates off the screen. I’ll be tempted to join you in this challenge, but it’ll take some thinking and pondering. It strikes me as an expansive and beautiful, companion writing practice to a ‘six-word story’. The more we contemplate who we are, where we’ve been…six words, 1000 words, the better I say. Love it. 🥰

    Liked by 3 people

  8. I love the short and long version of your “about me.” Your honesty and depth of character shine through as well as your love for your children. Yesterday, I began a three-week writing class on plot mechanics through Gotham Writers on the advice of LA. My assignment yesterday was to write a bio and post it on the class roster. I started with my “about me” from my blog and added to it. Then I read a few other bios and realized mine was too detailed and long in comparison. It was an interesting project and it’s quite a coincidence to read your post today.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh, that is an interesting project, Elizabeth! I love it. If you update your about me, let me know. I love all the depth of history that you continually share. And thank you for the kind words. I hadn’t intended this post to be a love fest but I’m grateful for the lovely feedback!

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Wow… outstanding. I might need to work on mine now and make it a little longer. Thank you so much for sharing your story. It’s very powerful. The Cambridge English Dictionary defines ‘Resilient’ as: ‘able to be happy, successful, etc. again after something difficult or bad has happened.’ You are the epitome of that word.

    Liked by 2 people

  10. Wynne, wow, so transparent and concise, your voice shines. Total transparency, you tend to do this to me, I immediately wondered if it were me who left you confused…
    How often I change my About page, trying different things, elaborating, being briefer, more poetic or to the point. I do find it’s also impacted by what’s going on in my life, my writing goals, who the reader is in my mind, which can fluctuate as I fluctuate. So! That said, I am always looking to improve things and up for a challenge. Thank you for the opportunity. You inspire and set a good example. (And if it were me you were referring to, oh, do please tell. I’ll spend less time pondering and move my About page to the top of my priorities.) 😄 Thank you. Enjoy the day!
    Deb

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That’s funny, Deb. Quite honestly, I wrote this about a year ago on the Wise & Shine blog and I don’t remember who it was. But I don’t think it was you. I’m just on a quest to move that content to my own blog one repost at a time.

      I love that you change your About page on a regular basis. I’ll have to revisit it since it’s been some time. And thank you for your kind words!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Speaking of honesty, this is a good reminder to me that trauma has treacherous, sneaky little claws that love to sprout up if given the opportunity. I recognize the immediate old sense of shame and accusation that misleads my better judgement. Do I write about that in my About…? ❤️🥰 I’m looking forward to your Zoom with Vickie on the 31st about resiliency and creativity. Thanks so much for offering it and it will be wonderful to see the people who go with the words I have so grown to love.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Oh, I’m so glad to know you’ll be joining us on the 31st, Deb! Fantastic! Isn’t it funny how our old “familiars” crop up? Maybe funny isn’t the right word. 🙂 I tend to write about them once I’ve figured out how to tame them.

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  11. Beautiful Wynne. I agree with everyone else; this captures perfectly who you are and what readers will get from you by reading your blog. And again, like others, I’m going to take a leaf out of your book and spend some time reviewing mine

    Liked by 1 person

  14. This is good Wynne. I get so caught up in the blog writing that I haven’t visited my About Me page in forever. So challenge accepted. I’ll let you know when it’s done. I’m sort of curious to know what the hell I wrote forever ago. I love how honest and sincere you are when writing about your life and the challenges you’ve had to over come (husband and sister come to mind) but you survived and moved into your own life, with kids, dog, and supportive people to love. I learn so much from you. Hugs, C

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh yay! I can’t wait to read your updated about me. It is such an interesting question to figure out who we are, isn’t it? And yes, those pesky challenges – obstacles that point us in the right direction, right? 🙂 Sending hugs to you!

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  15. Oh man, going from the intriguing paragraph of your bio…. to the longer and deeper description of about you. This was open and vulnerable, and you give us readers the wonderful opportunity to know you a bit better 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  16. I said this the first time you posted this and I’ll say it again, golden retrievers are such lovely dogs and my favourite breed – and I can definitely see and sense that you’re a Goldie through your open and heartfelt stories.

    How often would you say you’d update your About Me? What changes would you make it today, a year after your initial post?

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Err…I don’t have an About Me page! Not sure how that happened; I used to, but I think when I rolled my blog into my website, I wanted to make it more professional, so the clever About Me bit the dust. Now it’s the same as my homepage, which just focuses on my professional writing.

    I am going to need to rectify this situation, so I appreciate the reminder. And I love your About Me!

    Liked by 1 person

  18. What a fantastic exercise! I’m working on it, but it’s not easy to do… It was a pleasure to learn more about you, your character, and your strength. ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

  19. Tbis is a great reminder to put some time and care into crafting the About Me page. I was just sharing with a friend how my understanding of my own story has evolved over the years. (We were talking about Christian testimonies.) Isn’t it fascinating how the way we make sense of our lives, not just the events and circumstances themselves, can change?

    Liked by 1 person

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