I attended yet another political event the other night with a number of candidates working hard to change the landscape in Kentucky government. We toasted to the countdown-20 some odd days of knocking doors, monitoring social media, pursuing messages of change to the status quo. A bright woman with three young children who is running in district 68 to be the representative for her district, Kelly Jones, tipped her drink my way and said, "After this is over, Tina is going to find me in her cozy little office." And while I don't remember exactly what she said next, the intent was, that she'd find a sort of sanctuary there to decompress, find stillness, be alone with her thoughts, her writing. I welcome her any time, knowing that I too am looking for that time to rejuvenate.
Campaigning is hard work, harder than most people realize. But it is also a reminder of the good people that serve, like Rachel Roberts. We visited a senior living center in an under-served area of our district. I looked down at the shoes of one of the residents and was reminded of my disabled brother who passed in 2017. I think it was the oversized shoes with the Nike checkmark on the side, a pair likely bought at a discount store. When the what-ifs are satisfied on November 8, and I return to my office to parse out the events, make sense of them, and hopefully send some bright women into the service of our state. I will think of the ones most vulnerable, touched by the need for making a dollar stretch when medication is so expensive and food costs are so high.
But before I hunker down in my office for the winter and commit once more to the hours of writing I so desire, there is another pilgrimage. I suppose one of the joys of being a writer is the ability to take people on some kind of journey, be it fiction or non-fiction. Guiding people through the streets of Rome, the Umbrian hillside, and toward inner journeys fills me with hope.
Don't Blink, You'll Miss It.
It was a big weekend in Cincinnati. Blink 2022 kicked off Thursday and ran through Sunday night. People crowded the streets of downtown as well as Northern Kentucky to be mesmerized by the creation of light shows that make buildings and murals come alive.
We skipped the event this year, much as it pained me to not be there. But we have other things happening and will need to watch on social media for the visions that intrigue others. Truly, you can't help but try to capture these images.
A Few Thoughts on Writing
I follow Dan Blank, who is a writer and a supporter of other writers. His blog comes out every Friday (something I aspire to do). This week he posed a situation where a person in midlife decided to become a writer, to make an income at the craft. What he has to say about this
is very enlightening:
"I was speaking with a writer recently who shared a question that a friend asked them. You see, this writer is embarking on a new phase of her life where she wants to write fiction and creative nonfiction. This, after decades of building an amazing career in other fields. So this friend of hers asked:
"If you were going to do something with your writing, wouldn't you have done it already?"
The implication was something like: You are in your 40s now, why bother starting from scratch with this new pursuit when you are so accomplished in these other fields, and at the height of your career there? Why not focus on what you are an expert at and what has been working well for you?
Of course, this kind of question can be deflating for a writer or creator. It's not uncommon for those who dream of creating to get comments like this from well-meaning friends and family. I try to have empathy with the person asking the question. They aren't trying to crush anyone's dreams, instead I think they are often confronting their own pre-established narratives of who this person is and how they fit into their lives.
It can be difficult for a friend, a brother, a partner, a coworker to be asked to see you in a brand new way. Why? Because you likely already have so many easily defined "roles" in their lives. And maybe they rely on you so much, they appreciate you so much, that they feel threatened that a new interest will lead to them being abandoned. Maybe they are struggling and desperately want to feel that you are always going to be the same person, in the same role, supporting them in the same ways." - Dan Blank, WeGrowMedia.
To see that others may be threatened by such a change to the status quo of a relationship brings to light a number of things. Perhaps I have held back from completing these large bodies of work for fear that they will reveal something about me or someone I love. Maybe I will change and branch out into realms that others would not understand. Maybe my ego would get the best of me and I would be deflated if my work were seen in a poor light by those around me. Whatever the answer, the question remains:
"If you were going to do something with your writing, wouldn't you have done it already?"
Take a bit of time to explore this question, knowing that creativity doesn't have a timesheet or whistle to signal that the work day is over. So much of life informs the writing, not just the past but the present and the future. Fall is a time of introspection. Find a golden Gingko tree to sit under with your favorite pen and notebook, and explore the beauty of your own words.
Please remember, in these days when uncertainty continues to haunt us, that one thing we can count on is the sun rising every day.