Day 2 - 75D/Lifeline
Day 2 is in the books. It was a Saturday and we had quite a bit of errands to run. In addition to my morning walk and stretch, I ended up at over 10,000 steps for the day. We went to the farmers market, a few consignment shops, Target and Old Navy. Then when we got home, I did a lot of cleaning, vacuuming, and ironing our curtains...don't ask.
All in all, I was on my feet and on the move. I know people always say that 10k steps a day is ideal, but on just a normal, regular day I'm not sure how many people could accomplish that unless they have a job where they have to walk/stand. Getting that many steps in is a challenge!
We got the water issue managed, but simply making sure we drink three of our 40oz cups full of some sort of liquid and still so far not majorly missing instagram. In another few days though, it may be a different story.
WHY I WANT TO WRITE
One thing I've noticed at this stage of life I'm at - middle aged, straddling friend groups of those in their late 20s and 30's and those in their 50's and 60's, surrounded by other creative business types, and knee deep in social media madness - no one in my vicinity has any interest in putting pen to paper and writing.
Maybe a few people I follow on instagram who have big followings and talk about either theological or controversial topics may be writing books or blog posts but no one I actually know in real life.
In fact the group I started attending this Spring at church, The Christian Writers Workshop, is the only time I've spent any time around people who find purpose and pleasure in the process and craft of writing.
Because of that lack of influence in my immediate life, I find myself floundering. I'm great at emulating, less great at figuring things out totally on my own from the beginning. And so I have sat with my thoughts for a very long time.
It's something that I struggle to explain, my desire to write. It feels antithetical to what drives most people today - short, fast entertainment that doesn't offer a lot of connection.
10 minute YT videos. 15 second stories on insta. 60 second tiktok videos. Content, content, content.
A heavy focus on grabbing attention, likes, hearts and follows rather than genuine connection through written words.
Writing is hard...it can feel stiff if you are focused more on the "rules" we learned in school. It also requires a lot of thinking which comes very naturally to me as an introvert, and in this day and age of distraction I can see why not a lot of people find interest in sitting with their thoughts for more than 15 seconds.
But I feel the pull to push against the trends and work at communicating in the way that feels like a warm comfy blanket to me. I've always enjoyed writing and used to joke often about how I wanted to just go to school forever so I could continue to write research papers.
My mom was a writer and avid reader, and since I was an only child and there were no other kids on my block, books were my best friend. I loved that in a moment, I could be transported to another time and place. I always felt so connected to the authors, their words almost a lifeline from them to me, alone in my bedroom under the covers. I was never alone really, their words and stories were right there with me keeping me company when I didn't even know I needed the companionship.
I loved reading with all my being, still do, and from when I was very young I wanted to write my own book, so I could be a lifeline as well. I still have the first "book" I ever "wrote" ....I found it during our latest move. It's something that I will always treasure and plan to display proudly when I get my "grown up" book published.
I've dabbled with writing in my adult life in a few different ways. I used to write a lot for my business. Blog posts where I teach people how to do something were my jam for a very long time. Before that, I wrote for my own personal blog (which at the time in the early 2010's was alllll the rage) and I really enjoyed that as well. After a while though, life got very challenging and it became difficult to keep up with.
I don't know where this journey will take me this time and honestly not having a plan is driving me crazy. My goal is to write a book. I got that...the rest....thats the stuff that keeps my palms sweating.
Do I want to write a book just to write it? Do I actually want to sell it? What if people in my life hate what I have to say? What if no one reads it at all because they are all too busy watching 20 second videos on their phones?
I don't know the answers to those questions right now. What I do know is that I continue to feel poked and prodded daily to put one step in front of the other, pray and trust that God will use this and me to do his will. He may not always reveal the blueprints, but over time, the design of the final structure will become clear.
