I never know where I’ll get my next idea for my blog. It’s actually been quite a surprising experience for me…this writing thing. A year ago, I had no dreams of becoming a writer. I didn’t even really like helping my kids do their homework. Yes, I love my kids and would do anything for them, but I hate homework. I hated homework when I was in school. Why on earth would I want to do it again now? But somehow, someway, I’ve changed. And now, I write.
Here it is a year later, and I’ve written a novel and write short stories for my blog every few weeks. It’s bizarre. It’s like I've stepped into that Seinfeld episode where there’s a parallel universe. I keep waiting for Bizzaro Jerry to appear. Now that I’ve taken on this new challenge of writing, I find myself sometimes freaking out about what I’ll write about next. I worry, “What if I can’t think of anything to write about?” Then I think, “Eh. It’s just a blog. It’s not like I’m running the country or anything. It’ll happen when it happens.” And then, suddenly, out of somewhere, an idea will pop into my head and I’ll start writing. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed my musings but if you haven’t, I’ll try to work on that for ya.
This precise blog started out exactly that way. I literally just sat at the laptop after posting my last blog update and started wondering how in the world I’d come up with something else to write about. These are the words that came pouring out of my brain. If you’ve read my excerpts or any of these blogs, you know that I write like I talk – or in some cases, I write like I think. That being said…bear with me! My brain works in mysterious ways. (No comments from my brothers, please!) Yikes. I just opened myself up to a whole slew of insults. Please keep the jesting to a minimum. Speaking of my brothers, I think it’s the perfect time to mention one of them. (Hmmm...which one of them will be the lucky target of today's musings?) My brother, J.D., has been a tremendous supporter of mine. After he read my book (yes, he was one of the lucky ones to actually get to read the entire thing) he really jumped on my bandwagon full force. While we were working on the website, it was actually due to his prodding that I began this blog. He suggested that I write something every so often…just to keep up the interest. Tell a funny story or give my point of view on something. I was instantly nervous. Sure, I wrote a novel. But to keep writing all the time about different topics while keeping the reader interested? Yikes. The thought of it scared me. How in the world was I gonna do that? It just sounded hard. Yet, somehow, someway, with some encouraging nudges from my big brother, here I am. A (gasp-choke) writer. Wow.
I guess my point is (I know it’s been a long-time coming) that sometimes you just gotta see where things go. You don’t always have to have a plan. Some of my best work, whether it was a painting, or a chapter in my book, or decorating a room in my house, or even working out at the gym, has come from just getting in there, getting messy, and putting something down. Be it on paper, on walls, on canvas or on the treadmill. You know what they say about the best laid plans? (Yeah, I don’t really either…but I think it’s something like they never quite pan out like you expect.) So, try doing something without a plan. When you least expect it, something wonderful can happen. Of course, a lot of crap can happen too, but I find that usually we are smart enough to know the difference. Some of the most fun I had last summer ended up being the days that were completely spontaneous. Those days when the kids and I would end up at a friend’s house swimming and hanging out at the pool, with an impromptu cookout and bonfire at the end of the night. Nothing planned. No invitations. Just a happy group of people, who gathered to enjoy a summer day. What great memories those are. This blog is kinda like that too. I had absolutely no idea what I was going to write when I started writing it…yet here I am, 852 words later, writing out the ridiculous stream of thoughts in my head and BAM! I’ve got a blog update.
Here’s the funniest thing about this blog: I literally just checked a comment that was recently left on my site. I laughed out loud at how ironic it was, in lieu of what this particular blog is about. It said: “It's amazing what topics you come up with and make them sound so interesting…” Like I said before…it’s a Seinfeld episode in the making…a blog about nothing.
But here’s what this blog about nothing can tell you: don’t stress over the little things. You don’t always have to plan every detail of every project out. I shouldn’t worry about where the next idea will come from. It’ll come. And if it doesn’t…well…that’s okay too. Sometimes we worry too much about things beyond our control. I say, let’s focus on what we can control, make the best out of that situation, and pay attention. Be aware. I know I can write. I know I have things to say. The ideas will present themselves when they’re ready too, and I just have to pay attention when they do. Keep your eyes open and be ready for some spontaneity. You might end up at a pool party with friends, run your fastest five miles ever or you might just write a book. Pay attention to your thoughts. You never know when something wonderful will happen.