Finally, One Story Set Me Free!
My door to the next level…
Stuck in a rut, wheel off the road, careening into the aqueduct were all phrases (automotively speaking) describing my journalistic perspective sometimes.
The old me.
“Morose, taciturn, crestfallen, and generally down in the dumps” describes my emotional perspective because of my journalistic perspective.
And yesterday, I read a story by
concerningwriting a short story every day. It resonated with me. On several different levels. (But, if I read it backward, it did not say “Paul is dead…” -those were different times.)
On one level, it gave me permission to write my stuff that nobody but me likes, as I already do. And to laugh about it. As I don’t do enough.
The new me.
And that’s what I needed to hear. I even put a desktop shortcut on my laptop, so I could re-read it at the beginning of each day and get inspired. As Bill Murray said in his speech, “It just doesn’t matter, it just doesn’t matter, it just doesn’t matter….” I’m looking for an app that makes a sound like the “Operation” board game whenever I go to my stats page.
I now have external permission to write puff pieces that make ME laugh. Of course, I will continue to write a certain number of puff pieces that masquerade as serious pieces, but I will never reveal which is which, so if you discontinue reading all of my stories, it may be to your own detriment, as you will also miss the deep thought, knowledge, and education that will be baked into an occasional piece, a process so exhausting to any writer as to push them toward early retirement.
The last of me.
From here on, I will live only part of my writing as a two-step process 1.) I make stuff up, and 2.) I write it down. I will now intermittently insert a middle step 1.5) I think about it.
As
told me on one level, “Don’t beat yourself up with this. just have some fun. Write a lot- you may even get good at it someday.” That’s always been my practice.
Thanks for reading!
Don’s a keen observer and prolific reporter of truth, common sense, humor, & life. He’s a WRITER|HUMORIST, sometimes serious, sometimes tongue-in-cheek — Follow him on TWITTER, FACEBOOK, MEDIUM, or his WEBSITE.
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