She Aint Just Another 'Good-Time Charlie.'

DP: Who are you (by that tell me a little about yourself including personal stats like age, place of birth, etc...)

That's always a question I struggle with. Who am I? The best I can answer is that I'm the proud wife of a military retiree (Air Force), the mother of two, and grandmother of three (one is technically a step-grandson, but I count him).

I'm part Irish and Native American with some Dutch and English thrown in. I will 59 years old on July 1st of this year. I was born in the town of Enid, Oklahoma.

As a military wife, having a career was difficult so I held a lot of different jobs over the years. I started as a nurse's aide, which I planned to parlay into a career in nursing. However, my personal involvement with my patients made it difficult for me to accept death. It tore me apart so I realized nursing might not be my calling.

During our stay at Ramstein AFB in Germany, I handled security clearances for the non-US nationals who worked on the base. When we came back to the states in '78, I began working with a local college to develop curriculum that would provide actual vocational training for students that would make those graduating prepared to enter the world of work should they opt not to attend college for some reason.

I was lucky enough to be hired to run the very first business/education collaboration council identified in the U.S. We developed programs like student mentorships, internships, and apprenticeships in the early 1980's; long before they became the norm across the nation.

In 1994, my husband I moved back of Oklahoma to care for ill parents. We spent 10 years there, caring for his mother, who was unable to walk; my mother, who developed Alzheimer's; and my grandmother who lived to the ripe old age of 93.

For my ten years there, I worked with the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center as a business development specialist. I helped people start their own businesses, obtain financing and the necessary training.

We moved back to Virginia in 2004 in order to spend time with our new grandson.

DP: What initially drew you to AC? Or, How did you hear of AC?

I was naive to think that my years of training and experience would eventually land me a job in Virginia upon our return. Unfortunately, it seems that my age at the time - - 54 - - prevented me from even obtaining interviews on most jobs for which I applied.

I was contacted by another Internet site and asked to write a business column for them. Unfortunately, the site never got their act together and I was never paid. However, some contacts that I developed at the Federal Trade Commission turned me on to Associated Content. I tried a few articles here and, as they say, the rest is history.

I now freelance for several different sites on subjects like beauty, As Seen on TV product reviews, how tos, etc. I've also been approached about putting my Native American legends into book form, perhaps for children. That is an avenue I haven't yet explored thoroughly as of yet.

DP: What genre are you wanting to publish the most?

I love doing movie, television, and restaurant reviews, but just for fun. I publish some movie reviews for our hometown paper (as does my husband). However, I have to say that I have gotten the greatest joy in writing about Native American myths and subjects and places of mystery and the paranormal. I just finished an interview with one of the world's leading UFO experts, which should be published at AC before long.

DP: What are your favorite titles so far?

I'm not sure what you mean by "titles." If you mean job titles, I'd have to say Director of the Business/Industry/Government-Education Council (from 1983-1986); Senior Vice President of the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce (from 1986-1993); and owner of my own consultant business entitled Management/Marketing/Training Solutions (from 1999-2003).

If you mean other kinds of personal "titles," I really enjoy being "Nana" (my grandson and granddaughter's nickname for me). It has brought me the most joy ever. Of course being a "Mom" was great too, but I like being able to spoil my grandkids and then send home to mom and dad to straighten out. I like being the good guy for a change, instead of the disciplinarian.

I've also been a "wife" for 39 years; together with my husband for 44 years total, so obviously I like that title too.

However, if you meant article "titles," that's a hard one. I write on a lot of different subjects so I don't know that I could pick just one. I am, however, partial to the "Beauty Through the Ages" series that I have done for another site. It covers beauty trends from the beginning to the Hollywood golden age of glamour so far.

I think some of my strongest work at AC, however, hinges around myths and legends and material with a paranormal hint to it. However, I get spectacular response (emails, comments, etc.) from my movie and television reviews as well. Like I said, hard to choose.

DP: How has AC Treated you so far? (Support, that is)

Obviously, I'm grateful that AC gave me a place to write. That has opened a myriad of freelance writing opportunities for me. I was very down and depressed when I couldn't find work because of my age. So I owe AC a lot.

I do think that the site has a few kinks that still need to be worked out. There seems to be a bit of inconsistency. However, having said that, I certainly understand that they are also growing and changing as they must in order to keep their readership numbers high.

If there was one thing I would encourage them to do, it would be to have better two-way communication between the Content Managers and the Content Producers. On the other sites I write for, I can write my editor with questions, concerns, etc. and he or she will get back with me in a timely fashion. Once AC licks that final hurdle, however, I think they could become one of the, if not THE, premiere site of its kind on the web.

DP: Where else have you been published?

During that time I worked in Oklahoma, I wrote several training manuals in areas like marketing and advertising, business basics, business management, human resources, etc. as well as some 50 different pamphlets on individual subjects like cash flow, handling business taxes, etc. I also did a business column for the local newspaper.

I currently write at thebeautybiz.com, Triond, Helium, Ehow, Demand Studios, and "As Seen on TV" Product Reviews. I've had a few poems published in the past in magazines and journals as well.

DP: Please tell us about your favorite pet.

She is my guardian angel; a little black and white Shih 'Tzu named M'Lady Pepper Ann. She was a birthday present for me a few years back. She was barely four weeks old when I received her so she has always thought of me as her "mommy."

She was the runt of the litter; fit in the palm of my hand. I fed her with an eyedropper for several weeks until she graduated to a doll bottle.

She is always there to help me through illness, problems, and depression. It's amazing how much love is wrapped in her tiny little body.

DP: What would you do with a million dollars?

I would pay off any debts, which would be small because we've pretty much done that. Next, I would buy another car so I could get around a bit more. I would also buy a "small" house a little closer to my daughter so that I could be of a little more help to her. I'd set up trust funds for my grandchildren to make sure they could go to college if they so chose.

The bulk of the money, however, I would want to use to help the elderly somehow. I'm not quite sure what track that might take. It could be to provide them with housing and individual care so that they could remain at home instead of in nursing homes. It might be to supplement their income somehow so that they didn't have to struggle so hard.

The way I see is that they have paid their debt to America. They raised us, clothed us, educated us, and provided us with everything we needed to succeed. But instead of taking care of them when they need it the most, we stuff them into inferior nursing homes or ignore them altogether. I find that whole concept disgusting beyond belief.

I do understand that sometimes children can't take their parents in. We weren't able to take in my mother-in-law when she became severely disabled. There was no way with me already caring for my mother with Alzheimer's and cooking for my grandmother while working full time and running my own business. I could not handle any more. Plus she weighed nearly 300 pounds. Logistically, I could not do everything for her that needed done for her.

My biggest regret is how she died in a nursing home after being abused; all for something that wasn't even her fault. For that, alone, I'll never be able to forgive myself. So, if I had money, that is definitely where I would spend it; on the elderly.

DP: In 100 words or more; where do you want to be when you're 50?

Well, I'm already there. I didn't plan on being unemployable at 50 that is for sure. I'm concentrating my efforts, how ever long my life might turn out to be, on leaving something of my heritage behind.

We in America worry about how we treat everyone in the world except for the people who this country rightfully belonged to in the first place - - the Native Americans. Them, we try to ignore or, worse yet, destroy altogether. I am very proud of my Native American and Irish heritages. I think all Americans can be proud of being American but also of being African American, Native American, Irish American, Hispanic American or whatever. It is who we are and to ignore that seems almost unforgivable.

I want to leave some of my Irish, English, Dutch, Native American heritage behind for my grandchildren and their grandchildren and their grandchildren to take pride in. Women like my great-grandmother, who rode in the back of a wagon to stake claim in Oklahoma and my other great-grandmother, who grew up on a reservation in Oklahoma after the Cherokee were displaced, deserve to be remembered for their courage and strength.

So does my great-grandfather who delivered mail by wagon throughout the panhandle of Oklahoma in the early 1900's and my other great-grandfather who fell for a beautiful Cherokee maiden and suffered discrimination and abuse for "daring" to marry outside of not only his religion, but also his race.

I think every person has stories like those that deserve to be told and remembered so that they are forever woven into the fabric of our nation and never forgotten. If I can leave a tiny little sliver of something like that behind for my ancestors, I will consider it a job well done.

DP: What is you're favorite quote about writing? (and who gets the credit?)

I have a lot of favorite writing quotes. However, I admit that my favorite one doesn't come from anyone famous (except, perhaps, to me). I was a very sad and awkward girl in my teens. My great-grandparents, who were often my mainstays, had passed on. My grandparents on my mother's side were basically all I had as real role models. I was lost.

When I got to high school, I decided to double major in English and Speech. I loved to write although I had no hopes of ever making anything of it. I also loved to talk - - debate, orate, act - - it didn't matter. It was a chance to pretend to be someone else for a while.

My high school Speech Teacher, Lenora Bloom, somehow saw something in me that she wouldn't allow to die.
She encouraged me to go into original oratory for contests. That allowed me to use both of my favorite skills - - writing and talking. She believed in me when no one else did, including myself.

She once told me: "Write who you are. That is more than enough for anyone because your soul is beautiful. Your words can light the way for others." I didn't believe that at the time. I thought she just pitied me and wanted to make me feel better. But I did as she said and always placed well in speech contests. In fact, I won a couple of writing and speech scholarships thanks to her.

After I got out of school, she and I became friends and I suddenly realized that she had meant every single word she had ever said to me. She didn't pity me. She saw something in me that she wanted to cultivate. If not for her, I have no idea how my life might have turned out. But thanks to her, I feel that I have accomplished a few things. So that has to be my favorite quote. I know it isn't what you were looking for, but I hope it's okay.

I apologize that I got so long winded with this. I never claimed to be a succinct writer (ha!). Please edit, edit, and edit some more as you see fit. And may I say "thank you" for finding me worthy of this interview. You have no idea how much that means from a respected colleague.

Let me know if you need anything else.

Charlotte Kuchinsky (better known to most as "Charlie")

DP: My pleasure my dear. Thank YOU.