Barbara Beyer Albright

In the trees by home

Stephen King, of all people, wrote,

“Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends.  In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well.”

We are supposed to be selfless, let go of our ego, seek inspiration from an ethereal source (god, God, Spirit, a muse, an angel) and then trust that source enough to put what we have to say out there for others’ benefit.  I like this.  It takes any fear or insecurity about what I might have to write that’s of benefit to anyone, off my shoulders.  It’s freeing.

But then – there’s this quote,

“We could get what we want if we had the confidence to imagine reaching our goals.  As the medical profession has found out in the last few years, high achievers who trust their skills are happier, healthier, and less likely to have a heart attack than people who worry all the time about whether they can deliver the goods.”

Uh-oh – bring the ego back into the equation.  Have confidence in yourself. You can get what you want if you trust you can deliver the goods?  So, think about what it is you want?  Do you want to be a writer, or do you want to write?   It’s okay to want the former, but you have to enjoy the latter.  To me the advice stretches across an unreachable chasm of dichotomy. 

Stay close to your creative source.  Observe the world. Notice places and people around you.  Write things down.  This is natural to a writer. 

Some days are flat and you feel like you’re only achieving crap – but at least you’re achieving.  But the crap days are worth working through if only to float through the days when you’ve got a firm grip on the trolley strap.  On those days - writing is magic.

You’ve heard the old adage to not ask for help unless you’re willing to move your own feet.  It’s true.  Except in a writer’s world, your feet can keep still, because it’s your hand that has to keep moving your pen across the page or your fingers that have to keep producing at the keyboard.  

Keep at it. Get it down.

So keep at it.  Believe in yourself – because in the end – that IS your source.  

Every day is your moment and the moment, even as it is happening, is becoming history…..(I heard this remark from Usher).  

You see, I pay attention.  I’ve  learned not to constrict the parameters of where  inspiration will most likely come from, and I’m so often pleasantly surprised at where and from whom wisdom lights on my shoulders as a gift to carry with me.

A Pink Place to eat

Doesn’t this look like a fun place to eat?  It’s fitting that the door is open. I recently painted 3 walls in a room at our house soft pink and have had the unexpected pleasant surprise – that’s serendipity by definition – that it’s a very soothing color in which to take an afternoon nap.  

 You’ll have to either believe me or paint some walls this color and try it.  It’s ineffable.   I felt like a very fortuitous cat basking there in soft pink sunlight and so will you if you get to painting and find a moment to nap.

But, alas, I didn’t visit a pink place for lunch today.  I went to Jimmy John’s and selected a great tuna fish sandwich. 

Tuna on Sourdough - #15

While I was sitting, waiting for the sandwich to be made to go – I saw the following quote and had to write it down:

Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey Theory holds true

Do you go for the big outstanding amazing experience or would you just like a little slice of pie, please?

It was a slow Monday yesterday in the office so my husband, business partner, and love of my life (he wears so many hats) and I wandered over to the local theater to see Avatar. 

The Oscars were handed out the night before and (thank God) James Cameron did NOT win for best director, nor did the movie win best picture.  

But that love fest aside, and I really did put my ‘tude about Mr. Cameron aside to watch it, I still give it a big thumbs down.  It was just the same ole, same ole story to me, and all the bugs and creatures and waterfalls and high branch tree walking gave me the creeps.

Skip gave it a thumbs up. 

It’s interesting to me how different venues entertain and enlighten each of us. 

I wrote a piece once in college about a Halloween night when a young mother had an evening class at the University she needed to attend, so her husband took their 3 little kids trick or treating and when she came home late, she pulled their baby boy from where he was sleeping in his crib and breastfed him, sitting in the dark room where the tree branch shadows moved around the moonlit room, enjoying the baby’s warmth and tickling little fingers against her breasts as he emptied their fullness.   

The professor thought the paper stood out enough that he chose to read it to the class and defended it when a couple male students in the room couldn’t wrap their heads around it.

“What was it about?”  they asked.

“Nothing happened,” they complained.

Years later and apparently I’m the same creature.  I enjoyed discovering a new market in town we stopped at after the movie more than the movie. 

The colors of the fresh, organic produce in this place were a delight and I couldn’t help  myself from turning down the aisles, one after the other and skirting the perimeter to take it all in.  Food and freshness and this can become that…….

Beautiful colors and textures!

I’m not a science fiction type.  I couldn’t be more earthy and homey. Give me a little story.  I want to know about people.  One on one really.  Family.  Lovers.  Relationships.  Marriage.  Sisters.  Children.  

An epic is okay.  I’ll sit through it.   Special effects?  Honestly?  A yawn for me.   But a kitchen decorated tastefully?  Beautiful wood floors and a garden in back?  I’m all over it.  My feet tingle.

And this got me thinking – try to stay with me here – that there are all kinds of categories on Jeopardy.   And yes, I jump from colorful produce to Jeopardy as effortlessly as Jake pranced around on those vine covered tree limbs. 

But, back to those Jeopardy categories…

There’s Poetry as well as Politics.   Geology as well as Food.  Literature as well as Sports.   Ballet as well as TV sitcoms.  Some contestants make a clean sweep of a column intuitively while others stand there openmouthed with their buzzer dangling.  Yet, they come alive on another. 

Is one category of knowledge more important or worthy than another? 

No my little Einsteins! 

Go for what, and pursue what, and be okay with what you prefer.  It’s saying something to you.  Work with it.  Embrace it. 

And try not to look down your intellectual or aesthetic nose at what you don’t enjoy as much.