A Single Footstep

A friend gave me a quote a few weeks ago that I immediately put on my inspiration board. (This is a bulletin board with quotes, pictures, and memorabilia that will hopefully spark a visit from The Muse.) The quote says: “A single footstep will not make a path on earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kinds of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.” This is something I need to remember because it is true. Whenever I get into a negative frame of mind, and bombard myself with the idea that I am not a good enough writer then, naturally, I have writer’s block. Something snaps me out of that way of thinking and I realize…Of course I’m not—YET—but I’m just getting started! Then the ideas begin flowing and I feel ready to tackle this hard, wonderful job once more. I feel joy in writing—whether it’s pounding away on my work-in-progress or making up a story for my grandchildren. A fellow writer said to me the other day that she thought that one of the hardest things we have to learn is what to internalize and what to ignore. Rejection letters or criticism can be valuable if they’re meant constructively or even if they're not. They can demoralize us or challenge us. It’s up to us to decide. After taking a hard (calm) look at the situation, then we can decide how (or if) we can use it to improve. Making a positive path is my goal. Here’s how it looks in my imagination: It has lots of interesting bends and curves, is lined with big ol’ trees, and is floored with fragrant pine needles. Right now, the leaves are changing, some whirling down delightfully, catching my eye. It’s cool and misty, promoting a sense of intrigue. I’m ambling along, kicking those negative thoughts out of the way like so much litter and collecting the optimistic ones in my Sweetgrass basket! I’d love to hear from others. Favorite quotes about staying positive, ideas to spark creativity, whatever!

My Precious

I’m eagerly anticipating the release of the new Hobbit movie. The fact that there will be THREE movies only adds to the excitement, and if I could, I would sign up for the extended version films already. I was flipping through the book the other day, enjoying Michael Hague’s excellent illustrations, when I saw one titled “The Precious.” I’ve been thinking about that a bit since then. Don’t we all have something, a material item, which is so precious to us that we would get slightly hysterical, i.e. turn into a raving lunatic like Gollum, if it were taken from us? Yes, we do. Right now, my precious is my Kindle. Since I get a little (okay, a lot) antsy if I don’t have a book waiting for me to read next—this is not counting the one that I am currently reading—my Kindle has eased my troubled heart. A push of the button… and I can get a book. No long uphill half-mile journey to the library in all kinds of weather. (Yes, we moved to our house because of its proximity to the library—it’s all about location, people.) No browsing for hours to find the true and living NEXT GOOD READ. Many times, these days, I let my fingers do the walking, right into the e-book section of the lending library or on over to Amazon.com. That’s not to say that I don’t still have an on-going love affair with the crisp feel and smell of ink-laden pages, or simply love the anticipation of shelves of books stretching out in front of me in the library—that will never change. I resisted having a Kindle because of those very things. Bah humbug, I said. No electronic reading device could ever intrigue ME. I am now eating my words. But at least I haven’t succumbed to the I-phone craze yet. All those boorish people who jump to look at their phones as soon as it beeps while you’re in the midst of a conversation! So rude. No, when I get mine on October 5th, I will definitely NOT do that. So there.

Delayed Dreams

When I look back, I find it so interesting that I spent the years between fifteen and fifty not writing a word since I feel so restless these days when I’m not writing something. I didn’t even keep a decent journal during that time. As a child and a teenager, I wrote stories—mostly silly stories about girl crushes on rock stars—and then had my self-confidence, which was shaky at best, quenched by a critical creative writing class. In spite of being an avid reader, I ignored my love affair with books and words and became a nurse instead. Then a wife. Then a mother. Then a home-school teacher. Then a bookstore clerk. It wasn’t until I was fifty that I pulled a book off the shelf in that bookstore, a book about writing, and felt the first stirrings of the old passion. I had convinced myself long before that I couldn’t really write so it took a while for the dream to take hold. Now on the eve of having a book published (two and a half months, people!), I feel like it’s still a bit of a dream. My first book is not a great book. It’s not even a really, really good book, although I love the story and the characters the way a mother loves her children—wholeheartedly, in spite of all the faults. But it’s a start and the path stretches in front of me in such an inviting way. Wendell J. Berry said, “I am discomforted by the knowledge that I don’t know how to write the books that I have not yet written, but that discomfort has an excitement about it, and it is the necessary antecedent of one of the best kinds of happiness.” So completely true is this statement that I have it on my inspiration board by my desk. I can’t wait to discover the stories and meet the characters that wait just around the bend! I feel a little impatient to uncover the skills and talent that will help me tell those stories better—but being patient is the key there, and being willing to work hard. I can do that. I will do that! We had a funny quote on the refrigerator for a while (purchased by my husband) which said, “When Mama ain’t happy, nobody’s happy.” Now it should read, “When Mama ain’t writin’, nobody’s happy.” Lucky for me—and for my family—my writing refuge is only a few steps away. Please share any sage advice or inspirational stories with this newbie that you might care to!