It’s happening again. I am rearranging my life. Another city. Another timezone. Another tying together of the binding on one chapter, throwing out all of the scratch paper notes, and marking this as complete.
One thing that happens when I start this type of undertaking is that I start to journal again. Usually I begin with a stern talking to with myself about my failures of not writing every day, how long it’s been, and how this time is going to be different. This, however, is not a post to chastise. This is not a post of apology. This is not a post of over-commitment.
This is a post to share what I have learned from a few people while I haven’t been turning out poems, novels, or essays page over pen, finger over keyboard, or some other appropriate turn of phrase.
- Say Yes! Change Things. Written by Kate, a.k.a. my girlfriend. While reluctant to call herself a writer, she evenhandedly blogs several times a week about the subjects that she is brushing up against in her life. Professional or personal, long post or short, pictures or text, she pushes herself to get ideas out in the open where they can do things. Awesome.
- Zen Habits. This is a very popular blog written by Leo Babauta. His focus is on leaving the schedule behind, and creating a dynamic life of positive habits. He focuses on minimalism, simplicity, and accomplishment through the pursuit of joy. As you would guess, he doesn’t post daily, but as often as he has ideas or a good guest writer, which is incredibly constant.
- My friend lisa. lisa’s spirituality is that of the otter. Industrious and playful. She reads and writes and makes music and dances and rides her new bicycle because those are the things that she loves to do. She loves them because they fill her with health and happiness. With her health and happiness she is one of the most engaging and life changing teachers I have known. She was my teacher. She is my friend. I marvel in how she teaches with her whole life as the lesson. If you are her student, count yourself lucky. Be industrious. Be playful.
- My friend Tony. Tony and I have been friends for 14 years. In college I directed one of the 7 plays he had written for his senior project. After he moved to NYC for a graduate program he wrote a book of poems called “Subway Down.” I’m rereading it now on my Kindle. We’ve stayed in touch over the years often through letters typed on old typewriters. Lately Tony has been writing a novel on that same typewriter. He stops answering his phone. He stops letting the outside in, and goes inside to create masterpieces. Though he is my friend and it could easily be assumed as partial, I could easily have left him off this list if I didn’t believe in his abilities. Somehow thinks of himself as unaccomplished, but make no mistake Tony is a genius and a master artist.
