Ann Kagarise

I love to capture the heart and help to change the world through the written word,,,

Just to introduce myself

I chose the Hub Capturing the heart through the written word because of what I immediately think of next. I have been a journalist for five years and an author. I write for several media outlets and have found that the written word is very powerful! Not only can a writer capture the heart, but they can help change the world one word at a time.

As a journalist, I have found myself across from people who are deeply hurting! I have been invited into the homes of those who have lost loved ones to murder, sudden death, and I have been one of the first ones at the scene after a crime has been committed.

I have watched the media revictimize people who are already hurting. I have watched those in radio, television, and print not give a care how they get the story.

I learned early on that it is not about the story at all. It is about telling the story in a way that help change lives and make a difference in the world. Anyone can tell the facts of what happened. Anyone can tell you what happened at 11:58 p.m. on Friday night, but can a writer get into the heart of a situation in a way that lives can be altered for the better?

That has been my goal from the start. I have looked at invites as blessings. Sitting across from a person who has lost a loved one in the last days or even hours changed me. In the last five years, I have done more interviews with hurting people that have allowed me to put their story to print. Not only that, but they have allowed me into their lives because they know that I am not going to exploit or hurt them. They know that I care about them and what goes on in their heart. They know that I do not care about telling the story first or revealing information that I know is nobody's business, but their own.

That is the last five year. Before that, I was a counselor in a jail for three years. I held hands with murderers, prostitutes, and many who have done unthinkable crimes. I heard hundreds of stories and watched many tears flow.

Before I worked at the jail, I worked in a battered woman's shelter/rape crisis center for three years. I literally held hand with women during rape exams and even helped a small four-year-old go through an exam after she was molested. I was in charge of the shelter, but I was also a case manager for the women. The women sat across from me weekly, sharing their stories of horror. Their realities were pain to the core. Abuse stemmed back way beyond the abuse of their spouse or their latest rape. The abuse normally went back to the first molestation or that first beating by a parent.

I have watched so many in pain, but the most incredible part is that i have witnessed so many be victorious. In all venues, I have experienced joy in the some of the worse scenarios imaginable.

I do have a counseling undergrad degree, a licensure, and a masters, but my experience also stems from a lifetime of pain that I endured. I have a lengthy story of abuse. I turned a great deal of pain into victory and overcoming.

There was a time that I allowed the pain to control me and I let my drug and alcohol addictions numb. I do it without any numbing now and each day that I live is more victorious than the day before.

I'm not saying I don't have bad days. Sometimes, the brokenness and hurdles in life are the best teachers.

I chose Capturing the heart through the written word because I know writing is healing. Writing allows people to express pain, but in a way that they can find hope at the same time. One written word leads to the next and before you know it, a life is changed....one word at a time.

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