A Return to Writing

OK, here goes….

From the time that I was young, my Mom enjoyed my writing and thought I should be an author. As a child, I remember enjoying it, the possibilities of the blank page and the creativity involved in bringing characters to life and developing a story around them. Drawing did not come naturally to me, so writing was my gateway to showcasing my ideas. As I got older though, writing began to take on so many rules, moving from original stories to reports and then eventually term papers. It became a chore and so time consuming that it never occured to me that I might enjoy it again.

Fast forward another 30 years and here I am, sitting on my chaise, tea beside me, the sound of lawn mowers in the background, laundry waiting to be put away, wondering if I can still do it, if I can not only have the confidence to put my ideas down, to share them with my teacher and Mom, but to post them where the whole wide world can see. Will they be good enough? Will anyone read them? Should I look up some fancy words to convey my meaning? Or should it just be in the style of a natural conversation? I have read , learned, saw, and listened to so many things through the years, that one would expect a highly impressive vocabulary, but while I understand much, my words, even the easy ones, escape me lately. This loss of language is scary to say the least, as I often find myself pausing mid-sentence searching in vain for the missing word, looking to my companions for help as I describe what I’m grasping for. Unlike speaking (don’t look for a podcast from me any time soon), writing provides grace, as it offers the time to find the right word.

And so it seems, as I do have things to share, stories, creative inspiration and ideas, I will take my mother’s advice and write.