next to something

Setting out on this journey of ‘almost retirement’, there within my ancient “Wayside Youth and Family Services” backpack are found four “writing projects.” Two that have been dangling in a stretched-out stasis for far too long, another pair of rather exciting “possibles” in this new reality. One day of work a week – that’s today – with a greater spaciousness of time to sit here at the keyboard, or there in the recliner with a cheap notebook and blue gel pen. Where “write on” is no other than “Right on!”

Yesterday afternoon, and it was hot, I walked to the Mission Hills branch of the library to reserve one of their four “reading rooms,” where you get to the close the door and do whatever your thing is. I’ve never reserved one, but there they are. The plan to carve out 90 to 120 minutes, empty the backpack of my laptop and red notebook filled with brainstorms for some of the aforementioned writings, and with none of the distractions so easy to find in this room, hopefully get down to business. Start writing.

Too bad I didn’t know that you can only reserve one of those rooms for that day or the next day, and I was there Monday asking about Wednesday – Tuesday my one appearance in the salt mines – and as they say, “Obstacles on the path are the path,” meaning I just need to make it happen another way and get my writing butt in gear.

Anne Lamott, in her lovely ode to writing, “bird by bird,” quotes her writer dad — “And make a commitment to finishing things.” Yup, an ooops, there it is.