She Did Laundry

I used to joke that She Did Laundry would be my epitaph, inscribed for all to marvel over on my headstone. (I don’t really want a headstone, but that’s another thing.) The problem is, it could be a self-fulfilling prophecy if I keep up my current trajectory. I’m not sure why it’s so hard to put aside mundane, daily tasks in order to do something creative, something that feeds the soul.

Is it procrastination? Most certainly. Fear of failure? Possibly. Poor time management? Hmmmm.... I used to say it was lack of time when my children were small, but that old chestnut won’t fly anymore (I love mixing metaphors). So here it is. I have more time, but I manage to fill it with anything I can. The more soul-sucking or boring the better. Not just laundry, but balancing the checkbook, doing bills, doing dishes, scrolling and deleting emails, checking social media. I mean, how many times a day do you need to check email? Realistically? Social Media? Seriously. It’s the quicksand of time. It’s a way to stall.

Intervention is needed. A complete change of modus operandi. I’m constantly preaching to “look up, see the world, move with intention” when I don’t do it myself. My most creative and productive period was when I didn’t do any of the mindless, time-eaters. At all. It's ironic that technological advances made to save time will rob you of time if you let them.

Will I give it all up? Probably not. My intention is to put it in perspective.

My intention is to create space for, well, creativity. As a good friend said to me many years ago, just Show Up.

I will report back.

                                                              Painting by Jonathan Green

                                                     

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING- MARCH 2019 BOOK SELECTION

My first reaction upon finishing Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens was, Wow. Before writing this, her first fiction novel, Owens was a wildlife scientist and an award-winning nature writer. Her background comes to life vividly in the magical, descriptive imagery of life in the isolated marshes of North Carolina.

We meet Kya, the main character as an almost feral child, abandoned and alone, surviving against all odds in an isolated shack in a remote region of the marsh. The story is of endurance, strength and coming of age. It’s a love story, a murder mystery, a trial drama and so much more. 

Owens, living in a remote region of Idaho, knows something about loneliness. Her descriptions of Kya’s struggles come from the heart. Owens was recently profiled on CBS Sunday Morning’s broadcast and her novel is currently in its third week at the top of the New York Times bestseller list.

Highly Recommend.