What I’m Blogging

On Day four, there was an expectation of great things. Lot’s of good things happen on fourth days - “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven.” See? Days fours have lights and firmament and stuff. My day four? Not so much.

…It’s all about balance and I’ve been woefully out of it…

Day four has been the day where the world comes knocking. Day four is where I have to step back and work some details of living in the real world back into the process of writing this thing. Phone needs to be answered, Dogs need to be fed, plants need to be watered, Wife needs to have some attention and kids need to be picked up for the weekend. It’s all about balance and I’ve been woefully out of it. I made some good progress yesterday, but I stayed out too late last night, when I did get home I stayed up too long doing things of little or no real value. As a consequence I slept in too late and now have way too many things to cram into too little time.

Part of getting into the groove is coming up with a writing schedule. For you bachelor types out there this can be an any time you feel like it approach. For those of us in the ranks of Married With Children Procrastinators Local 1342, a different strategy needs to be formulated. A schedule adopted. A division of time that will let you write when the creativity is flowing, but that also leaves time to take care of those people and things that require our daily attention. The myth of the writer is one of a person locked up and alone in the ivory tower creating a masterpiece. Do Not Disturb. The truth is however, that if you adopt the mythic style, you may find it becoming reality. Writing, like any office job, needs to be in balance with your life, the life you really want, so choose wisely.

It’s the birthday of humorist Will Rogers, born near Claremore, Oklahoma (1879). He was the last of eight children, the son of a successful rancher. He never graduated from high school and, at an early age, began performing in rodeo shows, specializing in roping tricks. His father tried to settle him down by enrolling him in a military academy, but he ran away and hopped a boat to South America. From there he took off to Africa, where he began performing in something called “Texas Jack’s Wild West Show.” He toured with various circuses in New Zealand and Australia until he finally found his way back to the United States, where he performed in vaudeville shows in New York City.

…I never met a man I didn’t like…

Rogers went on to become the original king of all media. In his lifetime, he was a Broadway showman, Hollywood actor, traveling public speaker, radio commentator, and newspaper columnist. His column was syndicated in almost 400 papers; it was the most widely read column of its day.

Will Rogers said, “When I die, my epitaph is going to read: ‘I joked about every prominent man of my time, but I never met a man I didn’t like.’ I am so proud of that I can hardly wait to die so it can be carved. And when you come to my grave you will find me sitting there, proudly reading it.”

From the Writer’s Almanac by Garrison Keillor
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