Another Piece of the Puzzle

When I envision other writers sitting at their desk, creating a new piece of work, I like to think of them in these terms. They are in a quiet little office. No telephone to interrupt their train of thought. No dogs who need to be taken for walks. Or children running through the house playing. They have no friends who drop in to visit. They have no doctor or dentist visits. They do no volunteer work. But I know that's not the case. They don't sit in a quiet office with no distractions. Some of them home school their children. They have full time jobs and only write in the evening, after helping with homework, cooking dinner, doing laundry. None of them have secretaries who answer the phones and plan their calendar. They are up at dawn ready to start the new day, all over again. There are moments I dream about having less to do, but if that were my life, I would be leading the most boring life I could imagine. I love all the drama and the excitement. In fact, when I am in the middle of all that, those are the times all my ideas are born. I love juggling my schedule. It's like a puzzle, and I have a time frame to make it all fit. Some days by the end of the day, I start to feel like a puzzle with a few pieces missing. My husband complains to me all the time that I am too busy. He said just the other day, "we need to practice, repeat after me, 'just say no." Of course I'm exaggerating a bit, but how interesting could my stories be if I sat in a rocker all day? There are days I feel my life might be a little too busy, but what could I give up? Certainly not my dogs, or my writing, or my friends, or the volunteer time I spend with people, my Church activities, or the special time alone with my husband. I'll just take another deep breath and dig in. I've got editing to do, a proposal to write, dinner to cook, dogs to walk, letters to write and friends to email. Oh, I can't forget the laundry.