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Background
I am 52 years old, train horses for a living and have taught horseback riding for the last 27 years. Since my mid teens I have been teaching subjects as varied as dance, theater arts, voice and now it appears I am teaching poetry as well.
Qualities
This is a little more difficult. I have never been much of one to toot my own horn, but if pressed I would say that my teaching skills would be paramount. It has also been my experience to be able to "get along" with virtually anyone. People are seldom angry with me and if I have the opportunity to speak with those who are, they do not remain angry for long.
Diplomacy
As mentioned, I am a life long teacher and I have long considered the teacher to be the single most advanced of all diplomats. I am extremely reasonable in all aspects of my life and express this better than most people I've known.
Leadership
Again I stress teaching. A teacher (particularly one to whom teaching has been the sole source of income for decades) is less than useless if he/she is unable to lead.
Availability
I own my own horse stables and though quite busy with it, the tasks required of me are accomplished at my discretion. Hence, it is simple for me to make time for virtually anything.
Future Direction
I was introduced to NeoPoet by Sue Sanborn (a former member) when she became aware that the critical commentary I desired for my poetry was not available at any of the sites I perused. The pedantic nature of the site is what I have sought for some time. I also consider it NeoPoet's chief advantage over other sites. Quite honestly I don't know where NeoPoet is heading, but I have hopes that it will expand to an unwieldy size while never losing its ability to teach. Our greatest challenge is to grow into relevance within the poetry community. I believe it has a marvelous beginning and see nothing at this time that might hinder this growth.
Alternative Role
I am perfectly content to continue in my role as a mentor and a workshop leader