MY BLOG POSTS
What I DIDN’T Want To Be When I Grew Up
People ask me if I’ve always wanted to be a writer.
Nope. That has been a recent development.
So then I started thinking of all the jobs I didn’t want to have. Those are more interesting than what I did want to be. That’s actually a pretty short list: Wonder Woman, Actress, English teacher (that last one is really all three combined 
)
So here is it is:
What I DIDN’T Want to Be When I Grew Up
- A cook
- A baker
- A food service professional of any kind
- An olympic ice skater
- A rodeo clown
- A soybean farmer
- A preschool teacher
- The person who scrapes dead animals off the highways
- Anything that would require me to sit behind a desk all day
- A carpenter
- An architect
- A corporate lawyer
- A meteorologist
- A proctologist
- A urologist
- A lepidopterologist
- A firewoman
- A hair dresser
- An urban planner
- An accountant
- A DJ
- A wedding planner
- A party planner
- Pretty much anything that has “planner” in the title
- A professional wrestler
- A mortician
- And finally (I found this online, so it must be true) “A Flatulence smell-reduction underwear maker” (for those with especially bad tummy trouble)
So these are some things I didn’t want to be when I grew up. What about you?
Dealing With Disappointment
Five years ago, I directed my favorite musical, “The Wizard of Oz,” at my school. I was so excited about directing this play! But the part I always hate about directing is the casting. I hate posting that list, hate knowing some of the kids will be upset at not getting the roles they wanted.
The year of “The Wizard of Oz,” I had several girls who could have played an amazing Dorothy. The decision came down to two seniors: Angie and Janell. Both were great singers, great actresses, beautiful young women. Either would have been a fabulous choice. But I could only choose one. After much thought and prayer and consulting with others, I decided to give the part to Janell. Angie was given the part of Glinda.
When I posted that list, I stood back and watched the kids come up to see what parts they got. My stomach was in knots when Angie and Janell walked up. I knew how much Angie wanted to play Dorothy. I was afraid she’d cry or get mad or storm off. But she didn’t do any of those things. Here’s what Angie did…
Angie looked at that cast list and then looked at Janell. Then Angie opened up her arms and pulled Janell into them and said, “Janell, you are my best friend in the whole world and you are going to be an amazing Dorothy. I am so proud of you!”
Angie was more gracious than many adults I know. Sure she was disappointed, sure she was tempted to storm off or get mad. But Angie loves Jesus, and she makes knowing him and loving him a priority. So when she was faced with a disappointment, it was that love that came out. Angie knew that her inner character is far more important than anything else. She knew that loving others is far more freeing than loving yourself.
Angie taught me something that day that I hope I will never forget. She taught me how to deal with disappointment in a way that not only honors God, but also honors those around me. She demontrated selflessness and love to me and to everyone around her.
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35
In Favor of Arranged Marriage
As a mother of three – two tweens and a teen – I think the practice of arranged marriages should be reinstated.
Forget the fact that my husband and I wouldn’t be married if that practice had been in place when we were dating, nor would any of our friends. Or our siblings. But whatever. I am a parent now, not a young person looking for my soul mate.
So back to the topic. I will explain my reasons using bullet points. Because no one can argue with bullet points.
Here we go.
Why the practice of arranged marriages should be reinstated:
- I want to pick who my co-grandma is going to be. I mean, seriously, I have some friends who would be terrific grandma’s! We could go shopping for baby clothes together, we could take the little tykes to the zoo together. And if we are friends, we won’t argue over who gets the kids on Thanksgiving. We’d just all eat together. One big happy family!
- With age comes wisdom. Dave and I know our kids. We know the types of people they are and, subsequently, the type of person they each need to marry. Besides, parents today don’t even let their kids ride their bikes outside the neighborhood. Why in the world, then, should we give them permission to make this incredibly important decision all by themselves??
- We wouldn’t have to take away all choice. Parents could give options. Like a list. Or a multiple choice quiz. We wouldn’t have to pick just one potential spouse. Personally, I have three or four options in mind for each of my kids. I’m okay with any of those three or four options. See how generous I am? Freedom – with boundaries.
- Marriage takes work. Ask anyone who has been married for any length of time. Good marriages aren’t a result of finding the “perfect” person. It is a result of working together through good and bad, being committed to each other no matter what. What better way to begin that practice than by being forced together, possibly against your will?
The End.
Breaking Through Writer’s Block
Sometimes, I just don’t feel like writing. It’s not “fear of the blank screen” as much as just a general feeling of disinterest: No desire, no ideas, no creativity.
So what do I do?
I write anyway.
I feel about writing the way some people feel about exercise – I do it even when I don’t want to until, eventually, I start enjoying it. Because I really do love writing. I just forget sometimes. So I need to start writing again to remind myself that I love it.
There are plenty of times when I write because I need to, not because I feel like it. If I have a deadline looming, for instance, then I write. I set a goal (3000-4000 words), and I don’t let myself stop writing until I get there (no editing, proofing, going back to change words or add to scenes….that comes later). No excuses. I have a job and I have people depending on me to complete that job on time.
I am not immune to writer’s block. But I refuse to let it control me. Even if what I write is terrible and I end up deleting it all and rewriting (that has happened more than once!), at least I’ve put fingers to the keyboard. I have done something. I have pushed past the blah, ignored the “you can’t do this” thoughts and pressed on.
What about you? How do YOU deal with writer’s block?