What Over the Edge and being brave mean to me

Over the Edge.  What does this mean to me?  Stepping, jumping, leaping Over the Edge is my way of getting out of my comfort zone, not standing still–moving forward.  Over the Edge is my mantra.

I recently was honored to be published in Holl and Lane Magazine. This was a dream of mine.  Anytime I can write, be published, be read, is a true dream.  A dream that I once thought would never be fulfilled. A dream that would never have happened if I wouldn’t have gone Over the Edge.

Feeling blessed to tell my story in the magazine, I hope it encourages those who read it and prepares them to go Over the Edge for themselves.

My story started in 1988. The year I graduated with a journalism degree.  I am a late-in-life journalist and writer and I am so giddy to be able to own these words. I first wrote this blog post over a year ago, and I thought it would be appropriate to post it again.

In January 2014, someone I consider a friend, and happened to be my boss at the time, asked me to do something that scared me to death. He asked me to actually use my degree and write some articles and try to get them published. After talking to my husband about this, who encouraged me and told me I could do it, I knew I couldn’t say no; but I didn’t know if I could do it. I knew I had to challenge myself and agree to try. It terrified me; Over the Edge.

I not only agreed to try, I did it, and the first thing I wrote made it into the local paper. No by-line, but it was mine. I wrote it. The second thing I wrote was published in The Enterprise, a smaller publication in Waco. I called my parents and told them that I was finally being paid to write and that degree they paid for, back in 1988, was finally being used.

This led to more bravery.

This also led me to quit my job, (sorry friend), and started writing full-time for The Enterprise (now called The Hometown News), 26 years after graduating with a journalism degree. He pushed me to the edge and I jumped. And when I landed on my feet, I ran.

There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind. -C.S. Lewis #dedradaviswrites Share on X

Since then, I have slowly become a person that I sometimes do not know. But I like her a lot. I have pushed myself to do what some people might think is not brave at all; but to me it was heart-racing and uncomfortable, but when it was over I was left, standing, in my new shoes, upright and alright, and better for it.

These things that challenge me, could hold me back or I can push through them and have new experiences and success, either by writing a new story or going to new places, and sometimes both. The momentary fear is scary–but by pushing myself, I push toward the payoff.

Darling, let’s be adventurers.

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New bravery has allowed me to experience new-to-me-things, I have been more adventurous, in Waco, and I like the adventures I am seeking.  I have gone to a wine festival, Food Truck Showdown, and several farm-to-table dinners, eating with complete strangers. I have eaten lunch by myself in public, attended events by myself for the paper, taken my dogs to a dog park by myself, walked in a pet walk for charity, three times, and I went to London, with my daughters, without my husband.

Some Over the Edge things for me can be as simple as interviewing someone, or actually even interviewing someone over the phone, or attending meetings.

While freelancing, I have interviewed Waco Police Spokesman Patrick Swanton, Sheriff McNamara and Joanna Gaines.

Over the Edge for me is all about stepping out of my comfort zone, and moving forward!

After all, Marilyn Monroe said, “Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.” Share on X

Where did I get the three words that make up my mantra?

In 2015, I attended a fundraising event called Over the Edge for an organization called Communities in Service.  This was the biggest step, by far, I have made Over the Edge. When I was asked if I wanted to rappel down ten stories, 138 feet down the Texas Life Building, as a media person, I was shaking in these new shoes I now wear. Thrilled, excited, and scared to death, all at the same time. Who am I? All for a story. For charity. For all those kids that CIS-HOT help challenge daily and help graduate. I can do this, I told myself.

I did. I did do it. I am proud of myself but still a bit in shock that I did it at all. While walking backwards, down the perpendicular sidewalk, gripping for dear life, praying to get to the ground safely, I realized I am now a different person because I stood up to my fears, conquered them and lived. On to the next metaphorical cliff.

Thank you, friend, for pushing me, out, Over the Edge three years ago.

My hope is that reading this blog (and hopefully reading my article in Holl and Lane) will bring you the courage to step out Over the Edge.

love and blessings~dd

*This is a small look into my article in the magazine. I write my story.  I hope you will visit the website, purchase Issue 11, the first volume of the 2017 Collection and check out my story in Holl and Lane. This magazine has no fluff.  It has raw, honest stories about real life.  No shame, no vulnerability. Real women telling their stories, that aren’t always pretty. And a bonus, that I am extremely proud that—my daughter, Cameron, was the photographer for the article!