And Now I Understand

I'm sure it's happened to you hundreds of times in your life; you don't understand something until you experience it personally or find yourself in a similar situation.  It's not that we didn't believe the other person when they said how exciting or scary or tiring something was, but until we're there ourselves, we can only sympathize.  It takes personal experience to be able to empathize. 

What I understand now is why writers need quiet.  No interruptions, no questions, food can wait, stay away and don't you dare knock on that door, even if there's a ooey gooey sticky bun hot out of the oven, because I'm trying to think.

I normally write these blog posts at my desktop computer with a full keyboard, a large monitor sitting in the comfort of my office chair.  My desk is right beside my husband's at home.  For many months of writing this blog, I'd be sitting writing and my husband would have a question to ask me.  Perhaps it was about a bill or something about our schedule for the weekend or it could have been a funny video, "you just have to see."  Sometimes he would have twelve things he needed to tell me or ask me while I tried to write.  Every time he would interrupt me I would rotate my chair around, try not to look too annoyed at the interruption, and see what it was he needed.

Eventually, I got frustrated because it was taking longer to write what should have been a quick blog post than it should have.  After each interruption, I would have to get mentally back into what I was saying.   This was not all my husband's fault.  Phone calls, a ringing doorbell, children falling down and bonking their heads and all manner of other interruptions lay smack in the way of my ability to write an uninterrupted, chain-of-thought blog post.

One day I said to my husband, "Can you help me?  When I'm writing a blog post, can you give me some time without interruptions so I can get done more quickly and ideally get some better-written content hammered out at the same time?"  He said sure, and he has lived up to his word.  Not only will he not interrupt me when I'm writing, he will jump in and take care of other interruptions as well.  He is my number one blog supporter, and for that, I thank him.

This week I've been reminded how lucky I am when I'm at home writing a blog post.  The computer on vacation here is right in the middle of the house at the dining room table.  Everyone walks by and everyone has something to say.  It's not always to me, but when kids are throwing toys right beside you and there are conversations going on around you that are interesting, it's so hard to focus. 

I don't style myself a writer.  A few paragraphs each day about what's going on in my mind and what's been happening with my children hardly qualifies me for the designation of "writer."  But I feel like I can understand why mental seculsion is a requirement for writing.

The Big Boy Update:  Unafraid of Mickey Mouse.  My son has met Mickey Mouse twice now.  The first time was at twenty-two months and while he was excited about seeing Mickey initially, when the time came and he was faced with the actual meeting of Mickey in person, he lost his nerve and ended up laying down on the ground.  This time, at two years and four months, he ran straight in and gave Mickey a big hug.  The smile on his face in the pictures is outrageously big.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  Pink sandals.  She needed some non-sneaker shoes that were waterproof and pool, beach, park, sunny day outside suitable.  Nana and I went to the Crocs store yesterday to see what we could find.  She is now prancing about happily in some rubbery, bright pink sandals with a sunflower on the side.  Can she still remove them in twelve seconds flat while sitting in her car seat?  Yes, she mastered Velcro straps some time ago.  But sandals with no socks are faster to put back on when we've arrived at our destination.

Someone Once Said:  I’m as grateful as my nature permits—a giant amount even though you consider me a shallow person.  But one can’t show deepest gratitude every instant, just as one cannot remain in orgasm continuously; some emotions are too strong to stay always at peak.