As I sit here staring at the blank screen, thoughts race through my mind as I contemplate what lies ahead. Is my topic clear? Is it appropriate? What is it I mean? Eventually the fear sets in, what awaits us is a minefield of insecurity and criticism, one misstep could lead to a personal catastrophe. I take each step carefully, slowly putting my thoughts on paper, exposing myself to scrutiny. The answers do not present themselves with the concrete certainty of mathematics and science, they are subjective and open to interpretation. Writing for me is an uncomfortable experience filled with irrational fear and trepidation. The first obstacle of my journey I face, the topic. It is a favorable opportunity when the topic is pre-selected, it is one less obstacle for me to overcome. Unfortunately, when I am asked to select a topic, an internal struggle occurs. I immediately begin to contemplate the topics of interest and their relationship to the present exercise. Is there a topic I would like to learn more about? Will this individual meet the requirements for the exercise? After a day or two of reflection, I come up with a short list of topics that I find interesting and appropriate. I review my list of topics and select the one that I think is of most interest to me. Choosing a topic to write about is not a task to be taken lightly, it is a process that requires great care and consideration. Once I complete the arduous task of selecting a topic, I reluctantly begin researching the selected topic. All writing projects require completing some research, but there is a significant difference in the research required depending on the type of document prepared. Little research is needed to... half of the paper ......ch revisions and return with a new print. I continue this process until I find no more errors. Once I find it to be error free, I begin the final revision process of my paper. I ask my wife to review the document for errors, she has a keen eye for identifying errors and good judgment. I then correct any errors and consider his opinions on other possible changes. I do one last read of the document to dispel my doubts and make any last minute changes. Finally, my arduous task has come to fruition and I can breathe a sigh of relief. I can sigh with relief, but I have little reason to believe that the writing process will ever be comfortable for me. Even if the results are generally favorable, the whole process seems to lack the certainty of the outcome that I find desirable and leaves me full of self-doubt, much like stepping into a minefield.