Testing 123
"So I want a quit fast food. You would think it would be an easy thing to do. And maybe it is or maybe it's not and the more you think about it becomes something that I just don't think I can do it... so I started on it and then by the time think that I am over and done with it and think well maybe I can and so if I can maybe... I can finally stop eating fast food.”
That is the first sentence I wrote using Dragon naturally speaking software. I wanted to talk about how I was going to quit eating at fast food restaurants. And that was the first sentence I came up with. The first time I tried using the software a couple years ago I did not get the kind of results I'm getting now. It didn't work. For whatever reason I couldn't get it to work. But now the software is working pretty well. That makes me happy!
As a matter of fact, the more I work at this, the better I'm becoming a getting my thoughts down on paper. As I'm talking right now, speaking into the microphone as I, I can actually think straight and put down what I'm actually thinking. I have to talk in such a way that it slows down how I'm speaking an in turn I'm able to be very clear in what I write.
So maybe now I will be able to do a blog. So many times in the past I have been unable to get my thoughts out fast enough to type them down. I've been given hope that I may able to leave a legacy that will truly be of my own thoughts, feelings, and words.
Today is truly a brand-new day for me!
Editor’s Note (April 2026):
I originally wrote this post sixteen years ago, back when simply getting my thoughts onto a screen felt like a monumental hurdle. Living with dyslexia and ADHD meant that the physical mechanics of typing could never quite keep pace with my brain, often turning the writing process into a frustrating battle. Back then, early dictation software like Dragon was my only real lifeline—a clunky but miraculous tool that forced me to slow down and finally let me string my thoughts together without losing the thread.
I'm republishing this piece today as a time capsule. It serves as a stark reminder of how far the technology has come. We have transitioned from the era of basic voice-to-text to a world where AI acts as a fully integrated creative partner, completely removing the friction from the writing process. What felt like a distant pipe dream in 2010—effortlessly capturing my imagination, bypassing the barriers of neurodivergence, and building a lasting legacy of words—is now an everyday reality. Looking back at that early glimmer of hope makes me more excited than ever for the stories I can build today.