Guest Blogger
Tamara Komuniecki
Photo by: www.cathyempey.com
Independent, adventurous, impatient, Arthritic.
I’ve been a journalist since graduating with a Bachelor of Arts, major in Political Science, double minor in Philosophy and Criminology, in 1994, but I’ve been a storyteller my whole life. In 1994 the cameras just started rolling.
As a television reporter and host I’ve strapped on cross-country skis and attached myself to two Siberian Husky dogs, for a story about skijoring. I’ve entered into etiquette school with a posh restaurant’s maître d’ teaching me everything I thought I knew…but didn’t. And I’ve also covered murders, wars, Beanie Babies, fires and floods, as a live news reporter.
As a radio producer and host, most notably with the CKUA Radio travel/adventure program Travel Treasures, I’ve spent time with animals of all kinds — whales, bears, sled dogs, and race car drivers. I’ve ice climbed, flown a glider, piloted an AWACS jet, toured a chocolate factory and covered baby perfume, pet photographers and other incredible people and places.
For the Style and Travel sections of newspapers and magazines, I’ve toured Rocky Mountain hot springs, learned how to surf, and tested and written about anti-cellulite running shoes, cleavage-enhancing creams, room perfumes, and Hooter Hiders, and had my Style Statement done.
I have been a copy editor and an editor-in-chief, and I am starting my own emag (DelishMag.com) in March 2010.
I've had an incredible career outside of the media as well – working truly "odd jobs" as a figure model, a clown at the zoo, a 911 operator and a production assistant for U2.
My personal motto is “Only boring people get bored”, and as a result I live life trying to learn and experience as much as I possibly can. I have a passion for storytelling, a respect for designers and entrepreneurs, and a love of all things style, design, architecture, beauty and health related.
And oh yeah, I've had Rheumatoid Arthritis with daily pain and stiffness, and ten surgeries, since age six - I figure that what doesn't kill you...makes you more interesting.
Your Biggest Weakness can Become your Greatest Strength
I have incredible confidence, but for the most part it’s incredibly quiet confidence, borne of a life spent in pain and taking every day and every accomplishment as a personal, private victory.
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Being Different is Good
If you can’t hide it, embrace it. From fairly early on after being diagnosed with Arthritis, my joints started to change. I used to get embarrassed at people looking at my hands – they look like an 80-year-old woman’s hands. A newspaper reporter once wrote in what was actually a lovely article written about me, [...]
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Good Help is Not Hard to Find – You Just Have to Ask
I’m short, so I have to ask for help at the grocery store when the item I want is on the top shelf. Is there any reason to feel embarrassed or silly about having to ask for assistance in reaching something? Not at all. So why should I feel embarrassed when asking for help with [...]
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Everyone’s Pain is His or Her Own
Pain is an interesting phenomenon to me. Isn’t it a fascinating self-protection measure that we cannot truly recall extreme pain once it has abated? From the raw pain of recovery from a surgery to cut a bone out of my wrist to natural childbirth, once the event has passed I will only know that it [...]
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Lessons Learned from Living with Chronic Pain – Tough Luck
I hurt. A lot. Every day. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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