I was born...

[Reuven Frank <reuven -at- E-AND-C -dot- COM>]

Dear All

I was born in a little log cabin that I built with my own hands.

Sometime later, I decided that I wanted to be a chemist.  I was fascinated by the precision of it all, the reproducibility, the neat colors.

Somewhere along the time-line, I decided to move to Israel.  I became a Talmudic Scholar and a Rabbi. (This is all relevant.)  

Then I decided to return to my professed profession...er, avocation.  It soon became apparent that a lot of people thought that a chemist who speaks English should be writing English. (At least in Israel, anyway.)
A few thousand procedures, research proposals, lab reports, and nasty letters--later I was doing writing.  All that was left was the official title.  I polished my Word skills in the school of hard knocks. (No secretary could read my handwriting.)  

I applied for a position as a technical writer and got it. (I seem to recall that "respirating" was the main qualification in those days.)

I moved on to a higher quality (higher tech, higher pay), place and received a few "crash course" lessons in word-processing.
I also attended one workshop session (about six hours), of instructions, on using the company's macros, and shortcuts, and toolbar, and backless chair.

When I went out for my next job, I already had a portfolio, a record of work in a number of different fields and projects, and a reputation. (You worked for THEM!!!)

And that's how I became a technical writer.
Now if the start-up company I work for only had some money...

Reuven Frank
reuven -at- e-and-c -dot- com

 From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000