Get A Life
Posted by Kim on 07 Oct 2007 | Tagged as: Chit Chat
I thought about talking about alpha heroes or Halloween. I even thought about expanding on the Kia Marathon, as I was really excited about gearing up for it this month. I started out great on Monday. I even had it in my head that I just might write the words ‘The End’ on my work-in-progress by the 31st.
Then I got the call from day care on Monday afternoon. Nothing serious. My daughter had a low-grade fever and complained about her ear. She’d had ear infections leading to tubes when she was younger so I knew the drill. We’d watch her to make sure it didn’t get worse, manage the pain and she’d be back on her feet in a couple of days.
Ha.
Tuesday morning she woke up with gunk smeared all over the side of her face and stuck to her hair. We got her to the doctor who told us her ear drum had busted. Still not too serious, actually not unusual for kids who’d had tubes, but the condition is pretty painful so my daughter wanted her mommy and I wanted to comfort her.
So I didn’t get a single page written for two days. Once my daughter was back on her feet and happily ensconced in day care I vented to my husband. I beat myself up for not staying up later to write, even though by the end of the day my mind was mush. I should have tried harder, I said. I’ll never become a full-time writer until I consider my writing another job and treat it that way.
Then he pointed out that I’d taken time off my day job to take care of our daughter. Why should writing be different? When I started writing, I told him that even though it was important to me to chase my dream, my family still came first. Had that changed?
I didn’t even have to think about it. He was right and I think it’s something that writers at my stage of their career sometimes forget. We’re working so hard to get to that full-time writer stage, to make a living with our stories, that we ignore what we’re writing about. Life, love, family, adventure. If you buried yourself in a room with your laptop, you’ll eventually run out of words.
I’m not saying don’t make writing a priority. I work better if I carve out time to write every day. Just remember that while writing might be the one of the most important things in your life, it’s not your whole life.
Live, love, laugh and go write about it!
Good post Kim.
For those of us that aren’t full-time, supporting-our-families-on-our-writing-income, sort of people, it’s easy to make up excuses NOT to write. A lot of the “excuses” we come up with aren’t really valid. It’s just us being lazy. But there are times when the “excuses” are valid reason not to write. I think there can be a fine line between valid excuse and laziness keeping you from writing. Your child being sick right there at the top of the list of valid excuse though. Don’t beat yourself up. Just get back in the saddle as soon as you can.
October 7th, 2007 at 10:53 amGreat post, Kim. So very true.
October 7th, 2007 at 12:03 pmIt’s so true. I spend most of my days alone.
For my artist day (ala Artist’s Way) I don;t seek out solitude, I seek out company.
A few decades ago I would have thought my life as it is now perfect for being a writer, but it was harder than I thought to adjust from the intensely busy person I was to this lumpish person who can only write in spurts, as her physical situation lets her (egad’s I’m even referring to myself in the 3rd person!). Don’t get me wrong, I do count my blessings, as often as I can remember too, but it is apparent that in writing, as in lots of other stuff, balance is key.
October 7th, 2007 at 3:03 pmThanks for the great comments - it’s nice to know I’m not the only one who has trouble with balance sometimes!
October 7th, 2007 at 6:32 pmKim,
October 8th, 2007 at 8:12 amA great reminder for us all to strive for balance. (I know it’s there. I see it every time I swing past.) I hope your daughter is ALL better.