Today we welcome NC author Jonathan Greeson to Write From the Inside Out. Jonathan is one of the best e-mailers and writers I know. Please check out his site and do what you can to support the NC Power Hockey Team (watch this 90 second video). Enjoy!
I’ve never been the loudest voice in the room, so my opinion wasn’t always heard and I never won arguments. Of course, shouting matches aren’t real “arguments” anyway, but that is how people make their points in today’s society. Unfortunately, I don’t have the lung capacity nor do I have the desire to sit and scream at people who aren’t listening anyway. Thank goodness for email!
I have learned that email is a way to be sure your whole message gets through to a person. A well-written message can accomplish more in 10 minutes than you can in an hour long meeting where people interrupt each other. I discovered this in college when I had to do a project showing the competitive advantage of a company. The professor told me not to use the company I chose and she didn’t give me the chance to argue my point in class. I emailed her later and she said I changed her mind. I then received a perfect score on the completed project.
Writing helped me accomplish many objectives as I moved on into the “real world.” It has allowed me to start and promote my wheelchair hockey program, the NC Power Hockey Team (NCEWHA), and led me to pursue a writing career. I went to school to be a financial advisor and never really considered being an author, but somehow my life has led me to writing.
In 2008, I became very ill and had a real life-changing experience. I spent 44 days in ICU at the hospital and had to fight to stay alive. I received a tracheotomy and was unable to speak for many months. I finally got through it and regained the ability to speak, but unfortunately, it happened again last fall. The dilemma last fall wasn’t as serious to me because I knew in my heart that I wasn’t done, but my family and the doctors would probably tell you different. Sitting in bed alone with my thoughts, I realized I never wanted to lose my voice.
I am healthy again, but I am no longer as afraid of losing the ability to speak anymore because I can still share my thoughts with the world through writing. I have started my own website where I share my thoughts weekly on a blog and have started my second book, When the Tides Change, which I hope to have completed by 2013.
My first book, My Online Angel, 
was published in 2010 and it allowed me to share my thoughts on our pursuit of love and happiness. I really dislike how marriage is becoming part of a plan in a timeline instead of being a promise between two people who love each other. I hope that when people read this book they realize it is okay to look for love regardless of your age. I’m single, just turned 30 this year, and guess what, the world didn’t end! I would rather be single than be trapped in a loveless marriage just so I wouldn’t be alone.
I also hope the reader gains confidence after reading the book as they realize that we are all “good enough” and deserve to be happy. I believe marriage is one of the most important decisions we will ever make, it shouldn’t be rushed and we shouldn’t settle because we believe “it’s the best we can get.” The girl in this story helped me realize this and I hope to deliver the message to every other person lacking confidence in relationships. It is a powerful message and I wouldn’t be able to share it without writing. Writing has become my voice and it is something I can do without assistance. Who knew I’d turn this love into a career?
About Jonathan Greeson
Jonathan was born in 1982 in a small town in eastern North Carolina called Pikeville. He has lived in Pikeville his entire life with the exception of the 4 years he lived in Raleigh while attending North Carolina State University. He majored in Business Management with a Finance Concentration.
His career goal was to be a Financial Advisor. Jonathan has always had an entrepreneurial spirit, a love for the markets, and a belief that everyone can become wealthy. Unfortunately, the firms he interviewed with did not always agree with his philosophy. Jonathan currently works part time as a budget analyst with Wayne County 4-H.
Jonathan was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a type of Muscular Dystrophy. He has always used an electric wheelchair and needs assistance with daily living tasks. Luckily, he was born into a great family who has always helped him pursue his dreams. Jonathan has 2 older sisters and he resides with his parents in Pikeville, NC.
Jonathan found his passion for writing in college where he was introduced to business writing and persuasive arguments. Finally, he was able to make a statement, defend it, and persuade an audience without being interrupted. He is the author of My Online Angel and his upcoming work, When the Tides Change. Find out more about Jonathan, his books and the NC Power Hockey Team HERE.