Writing

For the past two weeks, I have been reading instead of writing. I've gotten into a series of books written by Charlaine Harris centered around a character named Sookie Stackhouse. I'm in book five of ten if I've counted correctly, although each of the books could stand on its own. It is kind of like watching Days of Our Lives. I mean, you can go for three years, and then on a weak moment at lunch...hop right in. In a day or so...you are pretty much up to speed. I love books like that...where there is a series...but you can also choose to just read one. I'm too chronically chronological to not start at book one and move forward. And then I won't rest until I've completed the series.

I love the idea of putting my thoughts into written form and describing events and creating characters that might entertain someone hanging out on the beach or waiting for time to pass in an airport. I often wonder when the lightning will strike and I'll have a vision of what it is I'm supposed to be writing about. Specifically, that is. I really love just writing about anything and everything.

And therein lies the problem.

You know...wanting to know what to write about is like the literary version of watching a pot boil. You almost have to be in the middle of something completely unrelated...and then you'll have a bounty spilling out all over your stovetop...or laptop. Or that's my theory at least.

Oh, I could write about the adventures of my life...such as they were. I would say ARE, but I'm 47 and that stage is pretty much over in my life. Oh, there's always the occasional meltdown on a customer service line, happiness when I can use a 20% off coupon somewhere, and the promise of graduations and weddings. I also have kids that bring friends home, good friends who always have something to celebrate and places still waiting out there that I continue to delude myself that I'll eventually get to visit.

I am currently five years, a wedding and a rehearsal dinner from getting some control over my checkbook. Yay me.

Maybe each of us has something within us that drives us to keep dreaming. I honestly don't know. I just know that I am happiest on those days when I can put something down in writing and find that it makes someone smile...or think. Other times, I am just glad that there is a record that I survived something. Lord knows that life has its ups and downs...and I've learned that you have to learn the lessons before you get out of the classroom. I've tried to use what I write to help someone else avoid the mistakes I have...or to be encouraged when everyone around them is spoon feeding them a heavy dose of reality.

For the past few weeks, I've saved seven drafts of blogposts that have yet to see the light of day. Maybe someday they will. I just know that going through the motions day in and day out makes me stronger. Maybe not better...but certainly more consistent. The comments that I receive are important so that I know what works and what doesn't.

I may never reach my goal of writing a book that is printed and shared. Maybe I am meant to be limited to the blogosphere and my circle of friends who know my heart. But I'd like to think that God has a plan for me...just like he does for all of you reading this.

Hey, I can be a cheerleader for your dreams as well!

So, as I've said many times...thank you for sticking with me as I figure this out. For the encouragement...know I'm grateful. Really grateful. I am also fairly close to narrowing down what I want to do thanks to the input I've received over the past fourteen months.

And while I am not Charlaine Harris...I am glad that she kept at it...because I really am enjoying her books. I suppose that all of us need to know that what we want to do can be achieved. All of us are given dreams, gifts, and opportunities. As long as we keep it in perspective that our output should be returned as an offering...I'd like to believe that we can fully understand our purpose by following our dreams. It is - in my opinion - just up to God how those gifts we have will be employed. Or not.

Thanks for reading...now and always.