Writing as Inspired

When I started this blog 10 years ago I embraced an arbitrary goal of publishing every three days—a pace that I was pretty much able to maintain for eight years. But I started slipping gears when I contracted cancer a year ago. Multiple myeloma led to multiple periods of hospitalization and some days I just didn't feel well enough to answer the bell. Upon reflection I've decided that's OK.

Having come back from the very edge of expiry, my priorities have shifted. I still cherish writing (and don't seem at risk of succumbing to the dreaded bane of writer's block) some days my back pain is too distracting (that was the case Thursday, when I took the whole day off), or other claims on my time take precedent.

Take yesterday. It had been a week since I'd last posted a blog, so I was overdue. But I was also trying to wrap up reports for a facilitation training that took place Jan 13-15. My professional commitment is to circulate reports within two weeks of completing an assignment. For a training weekend there are typically four reports. I had already done two but the deadline was looming Sunday (Jan 29) and this was more pressing than a blog entry.

By 5:30 pm I had finished my last two drafts and posted them to my co-trainer for comments. While that theoretically left plenty of time to craft a blog, I had had enough laptop communing for the day, and I no longer see the point of pushing like I used to. So, after watching the PBS News Hour to apprise ourselves of the latest misadventures of our new President (I guess we showed Mexico who's boss), Susan and I decided to catch a 7 pm showing of Hidden Figures, a powerful movie that lays out the extraordinary role that three black women scientists played in the US space program leading up the pioneering Mercury flights of Alan Shepard and John Glenn in 1961-62—despite the spirit-crushing numbskull reality of racial and gender discrimination. It was simultaneously an awesome and disturbing movie.

By the time we got home the only thing I had time for was wishing my son a happy 36th birthday (he and Sarah were in Las Vegas, celebrating with Jo & Peter). Though I didn't get any closer to him than voice mail, it warmed my heart knowing my kids were having a good time together. Thus, I had a lovely, full day. I just didn't include a blog entry.

And I'm pretty sure the sun still rises in the East.