Yesterday, I was stuck. I felt lonely and locked away in my house. I knew where I wanted to go in the writing, but my bed kept calling me. I felt so inexpressibly tired, yet I knew it was a condition of mind, not of body. I climbed under the covers anyway, feeling sorry for myself. And then another part of my brain whispered, Go outside. I threw back the covers, got dressed, tucked my laptop under my arm, and obeyed. The sun on my forehead, the trees before me, the blue air brushing my skin made all the difference. My fingers on the keyboard took on a life of their own, and in two hours, I had completed the chapter, blowing past my daily quota of one thousand words. "Drink the wild air," Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote. It helped, indeed it saved my life to remember: As humans, we need the sky.
Oh yes! i wish we could share my wonderful screened porch, up among the tree branches. Screens? Because eastern Ontario has these things called blackflies. Sun and wind and birdsong, and no bires.
ReplyDeleteMary G, wouldn't that be fun, working together among the trees, quiet and accompanied, the two of us tapping away. Love that.
DeleteYes. Look up, as Ross would say. Look up.
ReplyDeleteMary, I remember Ross's words. They really stayed with me.
DeleteYes we do. Glad it helped. I always feel better outside.
ReplyDeletePixie, outside definitely makes a difference, especially when one lives in an apartment.
DeleteYes, the wild air! It is inspiring and renewing in every way. We do need the sky.
ReplyDeleteDear Robin, you certainly have befriended the sky! I love your photos of it in all its moods. xo
DeleteGosh, I love your posts, Rosemarie. You have such a wonderful way with words that really reaches me! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteEllen, thank you for being here around the fire. I appreciate this so much.
DeleteI did a little yard work yesterday and felt happy the rest of the day. I'm glad you listened to the other part of your brain.
ReplyDeleteSandra, exercise is the holy grail, really. I keep trying to find it. Good for you on the yard work.
DeleteThis is such an important reminder and so beautifully written to boot.
ReplyDeleteThank you, dear Elizabeth. Love to you, friend.
DeleteI told my daughter how proud I am of her for following her dream this morning, her dream of creating a food blog. She's doing what she has wanted to do for a long time. And then I started thinking about what I have wanted to do for a long time, forty years, but never have, out of fear. I want to write a book, I also want to have said book published which I know are two different things.
ReplyDeleteSo this morning I read your post and thought, I bet I could write one thousand words, that seems doable. An entire book is too much but one thousand words is manageable. So I did, I sat down and wrote one thousand words and thanks to you and thanks to my daughter, I may face my fears and try.
Pixie, that is absolutely wonderful to hear! And I'll tell you what my friend who is also a book writer told me. "On some days 1000 words is impossible. On those days," she said, "if I can write one good paragraph I count it a good day." I adjusted it a bit for myself and now, on the days when 1000 is just not going to happen, if I manage three paragraphs, I count it as a good writing day. Good luck on your journey! The other thing to remember is you always only have to find the next word.
DeleteAn excellent and timely reminder. Happy belated birthday!
ReplyDeleteXoxo
Barbara
I much prefer the outdoors to indoors and so I spend as much time out when weather permits as I can. I'll even brave the heat for a while but not the cold dreary winter days. I miss being outside but I don't venture out. I went on a 10 day wilderness canoe camping trip one year with 9 friends, outside 24 hours a day, sleeping out under the stars. When I got home I could not tolerate being inside. It took a week or more to finally feel comfortable in the house.
ReplyDeleteGlad some time drinking the fresh air was helpful. I've been in a funk lately... perhaps it's the condition of the World right now weighing heavily upon those of us with great empathy?... Dawn the Bohemian
ReplyDeleteI can relate to this and thank you for the motiving reminder.
ReplyDeleteOutside is always better. I kind of hate it when it gets hot enough to turn on the air conditioning, I miss the front door being open.
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