WRITE (Now) NEWSLETTER – October 2005
“Action expresses priorities.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Hi Writers:
I feel like a three year old! Recently I learned a new word and now it’s all I can say. It’s “No!” “No Mom, can’t go to lunch. Have to take a long slow walk by myself. No time for a movie, Ed. I’m revising the thirty-seventh revision of an essay. No Morgan, can’t throw the tennis ball today. Gotta finish the personal statement for my MFA application.”
Between you and me, it feels fantastic!
A year or more ago I told a group of friends that I had rearranged my priorities. “Writing must come first,” I gloated, explaining how I was putting husband, family, friends and teaching on the back burner. My words shouted, but my actions only mumbled. Very little changed.
In the past nine months I’ve begun to make difficult choices and not everyone is happy about it. This is a risk I must take. When I say, “No,” it sends a message to myself, the people around me and the universe. My actions say, “I’m serious about this writing thing.” I surround myself with people who support my decisions and let the rest of the world fall away. So far, husband, mother, and dog, have chosen to remain on my team.
If you’re having trouble getting to the page, perhaps it’s time to look at what you’re doing. What message are you sending to yourself and the world around you? Compare that reality with the vision you have in your head. The adage, “actions speak louder than words,” may be old, but it’s no less true. If you’re not actually doing the work, putting pen to page, editing your drafts, letting others peek at your work when you’re ready, then writing isn’t a priority. It may be a hard truth to face, but until you see it clearly, writing will remain just a dream.
Nita (wake me up before you go go . . .) Sweeney
(c)2005 by Nita Sweeney
