Say Hello to !
Say Hello to Melanie!
Where were you born?
Where do you currently live?
Are you childfree by-choice or by-circumstance?
By-choice
If childfree by-choice, what was your biggest influence?
I’ve always known deep down I wanted to be childfree. I never liked dolls or playing “house.” I didn’t even like other children much; I preferred to read and draw. My parents never pushed the motherhood life script on me and have always been respectful of my choices. They encouraged my creativity and pushed me to get an education and be financially independent. Having children always seemed like such a tough grind emotionally, physically, financially, and a potential strain on a relationship.
What was your first job?
Cashier at Wal-Mart. I’m from rural West Texas so I sold a lot of chewing tobacco.
What is your occupation now?
Learning designer for a large healthcare organization.
What is a typical day like for you?
Breakfast and a light workout or chilling with a book before I log into work. As of spring 2021 I’m recovering from ACL reconstruction surgery so I have physical therapy some mornings. I work from home, and some days are busy, and some aren’t. I’m currently promoting my book, so that publicity work is like a second job, but the stress is happy stress. I’m able to do yoga now as my knee gets better so sometimes I do that in the evenings or I chill with my boyfriend and we watch “Ink Master” (we’re obsessed with tattoos) or a movie.
Do you enjoy any hobbies?
Taekwondo – I am a second degree black belt. I’m recovering from an ACL tear and surgery and look forward to returning to the dojang (taekwondo school) sometime in the summer or later in 2021. I also like to swim and practice yoga.
Reading! Lately I’ve been getting into horror novels. I love Stephen King, but there are many talented horror writers besides him.
Writing – I write a blog (littleblackbelt.com) and am publishing my first book April 2021.
Do you have a special talent or skill?
I play classical guitar. I’m pretty good at public speaking since I do it for my job, but I don’t like it, ha ha.
If you could master a new skill instantly, what would you like to learn to do?
Playing the violin. I might just sell my soul to be able to do that.
What’s an interesting fact about you?
I have a master’s degree in library science and was a hospital librarian for several years before changing careers into corporate training and development.
Do you have any “stupid human” tricks?
I break boards and hit people. I don’t know if that’s a trick, but it’s pretty fun!
Are there any accomplishments you want to brag about? (Don’t be modest, we want to know!)
I wrote a book! My memoir Kicking and Screaming: a Memoir of Madness and Martial Arts is released April 2021. It tells the story of how I overcame the worst struggles from lifelong mental illness by practicing taekwondo. I had done TKD as a child and decided when I was at my lowest emotional point in my early thirties to start training again. The life lessons and changes I experienced from martial arts were so compelling that i had to write about them. I first started my blog and then wrote the book. The book also touches on my choice to be childfree and struggles over that in a relationship.
What do you enjoy most about the childfree lifestyle?
One word would sum up everything: freedom.
Freedom to have quiet time, freedom to be busy, freedom to do nothing, freedom to feel financially secure, freedom to care for my emotional and mental wellness that’s best for me and not anyone else, freedom to give my partner my undivided attention, freedom to do what I want!
Plus bodily fluids are gross. I want NONE of that.
Give us your Top Three recommendations for travel destinations that you have visited?
Is there a travel spot you REALLY want to visit?
Santa Fe, New Mexico. I’m a west Texas girl, so I’m always drawn to open spaces. I’ve been to parts of New Mexico but never Santa Fe so I will be planning a trip once my home is paid off (early, which is another perk of being childfree).
What do you want people who are not childfree to know about this lifestyle?
It’s a very personal choice and has no bearing on their relationships, families, or how they choose to live their lives. We shouldn’t spend time talking about people’s reproductive choices, whether they have children or not. It’s kinda weird.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
My home will be paid off so I want to do some traveling within the United States (Santa Fe and Hawaii are my top spots). I have ideas for a second memoir and want to try my hand at writing fiction, so I hope to have a few novels in the works as well.
Do you want to give a plug for anything?
My book is available in print and ebook form on just about any online book vendor: Kicking and Screaming: a Memoir of Madness and Martial Arts
Blog – http://littleblackbelt.com
Linktree with my author info and social media: https://linktr.ee/melaniegibsonauthor
What is your favorite quote?
“I paint because the spirits whisper madly inside my head.” – El Greco. That is why I write. I have to!
If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
“The Seeker” by The Who
