Surviving the Hard Times

So I'm going to try a little experiment that will hopefully get me writing more. I'm going to write something everyday. It might not be on the topic of hard times or food or survival. Who knows what I'll write about? At least, I will be writing. Writing is always better than seeing my entry from September 4th just sitting there boring you.  I'm going to start now.

Why do I write?  I used to think I had something different to say. Something that was important for people to read. But after a few Google searches, you discover that most things have been said and said and said. There may not be that much new to say. I may also be totally wrong about that point too. There may be many new things to say. I just haven't thought of them yet. But there is the point. Maybe by writing more, I'll think of those new things to say.

I used to write a lot. I would write about a life that I imagined. It wasn't necessarily a happy, won-the-lottery life. It was just a different life. I also used to write tech books. Very dry, step by step books that would walk you through using software to keep track of all those important people in your life. It was was my first published book. It was money above and beyond my job at the software company. I was a writer!  I have a photocopy of my first check in a drawer somewhere. Actually, or sadly, I think I know exactly which drawer and file folder contains that photocopy. That makes me sound super organized. I'm not. I am so not the super organized person. My documentation was organized. My office was and still is stacks of papers. They are organized and I know which stack contains which items. I'm trying to develop OCD to help with the housework and organization. So far, that idea isn't panning out.

I used to write some really personal stuff. Now I'm much more guarded. Maybe it's because employers have their HR departments busily searching the web for information about potential employees. Guarded and writing don't always go together in my opinion. When you try to be perfect, you get distracted from the flow of ideas. Stream of consciousness can be a terrific writing tool. So tonight and in the next few weeks, you might not like my writing very much. I might not like my writing very much. You might not learn anything useful. But I'm going to write.

I write because I must create. I must create something. My hands must be busy. I used to crochet a lot. My eyesight isn't as good as it used to be. I found I didn't enjoy crocheting as much anymore. Counted cross stitch went the same way. Sewing requires the sewing machine and can disturb the sleeping husband. There are also small children who being ultra curious creatures kept trying to stick their fingers into various parts of the machine while I was sewing. I made paper Christmas ornaments and sold them one year. I enjoyed it. It's where I acquired the name, The Ornament Gal. However, I think people in sweat shops in China were making more money than people wanted to pay me for my ornaments. So creation is a part of me.

What is one of the least expensive creative endeavors to start today? Writing. What do you need to write? Paper. Pen or pencil. Not very expensive. Sure, writing on the web is fun but I still like writing things out long hand. I write most of my recipes out in spiral bound, hard back notebooks. Of course, that leads to me not being able to find my recipes easily but they are much more permanent that way. I like writing with fountain pens. I like the scratchy sound of the nib on the paper. I'm not totally fond of some of the ink stains on my fingers but it doesn't bother me too much. I like being able to flip through a notebook and see that I've filled four or five pages with words and thoughts. They may not make any sense to anyone but me. But I did something on the day that I wrote those words. I thought something. I felt something and I wrote it down.

The sinus medicine is beginning to make me drowsy so I think I'll stop writing today. I plan to write again tomorrow. Even if it's just for five minutes. Do you think sinus medication, scissors and tulle will go together? I want to make a tutu for my daughter's Christmas present. Perhaps tomorrow I'll write about 'less is more for Christmas'.