Like
saying “I do,” to your love, there is peacefulness to decision making and yet
always the thought, is this the right
one?
I
am an unfocused ambivalent writer. I’ve written so much ‘stuff’, in so many
different forms, I love them all,
that deciding which one to lay down with feels like I’m cheating on the other. But…I
have decided.
Saying,
“I am an essayist and I will go as far as writing essays takes me”, is like
saying I will drive from Connecticut to California on a three-wheeler. Nobody rides three-wheelers anymore, actually that's not true, some do but not many. It’s fun being a little different. Being a person of a certain age I’ve
come to the conclusion that being really good at something is better than being
mediocre at everything. And the best part, I love what I do.
Ask
yourself, what are you really good at? Do you love it? Unlike some blogs which
ask questions, you don’t have to answer here but it would be nice if you
shared. If what you do isn’t popular, may not make you money or build you a
platform, are you willing to hop on a three-wheeler and ride toward it? Awe,
come on, there’s room on my bike; you can stand on the flat part between the
two back wheels. How far do you think we’ll get? Hey, we can make it to the Tappen Zee. We may have a bitch of a time pushing this little baby up hill, but how sweet the ride
will be on the other side, coasting all the way.
I've thought about this topic lately. I've realized how much I really love reading...more than writing. If I had to choose one over the other for the rest of my life, I would choose reading. One of my life goals is to get my PhD and teach at the college level. Why? Because I love books and the discussion of them. People often tell me to get my PhD in education because it will make me more marketable, but no. Literature of some form. Why? Because I love books and the discussion of them.
ReplyDeleteI've also always dreamed of writing a book and I think I would be happy with just one under my belt - especially because my WIP is about my mom and her story needs to be told. When I do write it seems to stay short, article or essay length, and I feel okay with that right now because it also feels complete. I'm starting to believe I'd be content with a three-wheeler.
Jennine, the question to ask is, is 'content' enough?
ReplyDeleteYour family is young, you have high education goals, short-form may be your choice right now as you explore and continue to learn but be open to other forms too. You never know...long-form might just up and bite you in the butt with inspiration.
Hell, what do I know? I've been sitting on my mother's story since the day after she passed away. A lapsed Catholic girl she died on Easter Sunday 2006, God's last laugh I guess.
There is an awful lot to do with timing I think. Heck, the ten years it took me to pick up with writing again was definitely about the timing.
ReplyDelete