#poetry #illumination #biography
About Me — Jan Swink
Introduction to Janny’s Heart
Hello! My name is Jan. I was born to be a wild child. As a child of about 11, I began writing. It wasn’t sophisticated, and it wasn’t pretty, but it gave me solace. It was a gift I received early on from above and continued throughout my life. I’m starting to gain enough confidence to share.
My first real career was with the airlines, and it was a blast. I was an Army brat and traveled the world — especially the world of small towns in Alabama and Georgia. So, when I became a “stewardess” in my early 20’s, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Indeed, you had to put up with a lifetime of crazy experiences! It was difficult to believe that an airline would pay me to be a sky goddess to jet off to New York, San Francisco, Europe, and beyond. Once the plane landed, a limo or van would pick me up, take me to a hotel, and drop me off for close to 24 hours to explore and play. While I worked hard, I reaped the rewards. What could be better than that?
After a lengthy career with the airlines, I longed for something different. I returned to college after a 20+ year absence and got my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. I discovered my deep-seated passion. It was at my core. While it could have slapped me right in the face, I never recognized it. The best education I had was in the College of Life, and I will continue to learn every day of my life.
Working in child welfare and community mental health is both a blessing and a curse. I never dreamed of the opportunities that came to fruition. I began working with children who experienced egregious abuse, neglect, and/or abandonment, some beyond recognition. While I discovered instantly that being a mental health therapist was not my calling, I did come to learn that my gift lay in creating programs, policies and procedures, obtaining funding, and that I could raise a whole lot of money. In the end, I rose to the level of Chief Executive Officer. It was everything I had hoped for when I returned to college. It was gratifying, heartbreaking, and my passion. One day, I woke up and realized I had accomplished more than I ever thought possible. I walked away.
Forever young, with a lust for adventure, I packed up furniture, clothes, and my dogs. I moved 600 miles away from everything I knew to uncover what the next chapter would hold. I lived close to family and friends on about 10 acres in the woods in rural Georgia. I craved that break more than I ever knew.
After the money ran out, I moved to the city! I went back to work for a couple of years, joined a family that had experienced unimaginable tragedy, and here I am. I work a little here and there, but mostly I’m back to my passionate side. I’m writing more than I ever envisioned. It seems to flow. I write about life lessons, family, tragedy, and the things I know to be true. I write stories, but I gravitate to poetry. I’m happier than I’ve ever been. Except for when I was raising my children who have given me the greatest gift of all … grandchildren! I love them beyond words!
I still feel that insistent longing pull from time to time. Writing fills my void. I’ve found a home here on Illumination, the Poetry Club, Slack, and others. I love the support, the feedback, and developing a bond with writers and readers. I want to learn to write more about experiencing happiness and joy. I’m an optimist at heart; but, my writing reflects something less than optimism many times. I keep trying. It’s a precarious battle between insistent longing and satisfying the void. You can find me at jannysheart@jeswink14.
jannys heart — I could tell you a thousand things about me, but what’s important is that I’m kind-hearted, sensitive, warm, and have a wild streak that can’t be tamed. I’ve found a home here on Illumination, Illumination’s Poetry Club, and others. I hope you do too! Take a look at the articles below this post!
Thank you Dr. Mehmet Yildez for your support and giving my words a platform. A special thank you to Tree Langdon and all those many writers that inspire me every single day!
