So where have I been for the last year and a half? Why have I not been writing regularly, though I whine about it to nearly every friend I have? I’ve been asking myself those questions for quite a while, and some of the answers I’ve come up with aren’t too comfortable.

Yes, I miss journalism, and asking questions all day, and telling other people’s stories. But I also miss the instant cred and name recognition that came with having a regular newspaper column.

I’ve been worried that if I admitted I was still a journalist — or still wanted to be — it would somehow be a step off the hard-won path to my newer vocation, as someone who is painstakingly learning how to be a fundraiser, school communicator and manager in a culture I’ve never experienced before.

But almost every day I come up with a column idea, or get mad about something, or see a story — not all of them are at St. Mary’s, though some are — and think: I should be writing about that.

So here goes. Please read, comment and help me find my voice again. I hope it never really went away.