Priorities

Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least. ~ Goethe

After being gone for two and a half weeks, I am chomping at the proverbial bit to get back to writing. However, there are bills to be paid, mail to be answered, and the fitness program that needs to be resumed. Health and sanity are as much of writing as stringing words and thoughts together.

Underneath these priorities, an ancient, familiar song calls to me, like the mermaids and sirens in The Odyssey. “Do this, do that. Get organized. Complete this task. Do just one more thing. You can write tomorrow.” If I heed this song, I will drown, and my stories with it.

Travel Writing and Resolutions

Keep a diary and one day it'll keep you. ~ Mae West

I spent the holidays exploring Australia and New Zealand. When I travel, I entertain fantasies about travel writing. I see myself writing while I am exploring, in restaurants, at bedtime, sending off articles, and then planning my next trip. The reality is that I am so in the moment that I don’t want to break the travel experience by writing or even taking a photo. When I get a chance to write it is an insanely plain diary entry that barely captures the highlights. The truth is that I am no travel writer. At best, I am a travel reader. So, if you want to read a really good book about Australia, I recommend Bill Bryson’s In a Sunburned Country.

The other thing that dogs me when I travel is the aching desire to write more. I make all these unrealistic resolutions about my writing, resolutions that fall away like dangling prepositions. So here is my new resolution—no more resolutions!