A Lesson from Howie the Fish

Writing... Writing... Writing...

There! I did it. I wrote today. Now I can get over the guilt that this week I haven't put ANY effort into writing. Want to know what I did today? I (barely) got out of bed this morning, I helped my adorable- albeit forgetful- hubby find his work keys (NOT an easy feat!), got him out the door, made the boys oatmeal, and decided to take them to the pet store. WHHYYYY?? Oh, I don't know. In my pure exhaustion I thought picking them up a Betta fish would be a good idea. A distraction, if you will, so maaaybe I could get work done.

We got home and it was time for lunch and naps... But not for me, of course. I was going to devote my quiet time to my manuscript that I'm so excited about. However, I didn't think my almost-3yr old would kick, scream, and cause PURE PANIC in mi casa all because he couldn't sleep with said fishy (ps, "said fishy" has a name. It's Howie...). But he did.

So, I fought with the kid for about an hour and a half, and just as I opened up my computer, my almost-5yr old was up. Urrggg!! But the truth is, there's not much I can do about any of the time I have lost. The mood is gone. I'd rather vent about all of this than write a children's story. Writing for children is the last thing I now want to do.

I've been staring at Howie for a while. We're letting the tap water get to room temperature, and then we'll transition him (in his bag from the store) to the water, and allow that water to adjust. Once it has, he can finally be set "free" in his lager environment. It's a looong process. Does he seem to care? Maybe I should ask him. But his tiny, beautiful body language appears unperturbed. Hmmm... See, I'd be in total panic mode!

I'm thinking there's a lesson in this...

I've been meeting a lot of writers lately. They are either one of two types:
 
    1. Published. Professional. Knowledgeable. Set in their ways.

OR

    2. BRAND SPANKING NEW. Exhausted. Terrified. Unsure. Doubting that they have any skill.

But you know what the biggest difference is between these two types?
"Duh, Bethany," you say, "Experience!"
And, that might be. But I think the biggest difference is, Patience. Patience gives you the chance to relax. To let your story brew! It allows you, the writer, to be comfortable with who you are as the narrator to a child's imagination.

So, for me today, the guilt of not diving into my manuscript might be overwhelming, but the time I shared at the pet store helping my boys pick out their first fish, was worth it. It gave me patience, actually, because I was able to see the world through their eyes, and see their excitement when they were coming up with the perfect name for it. It took staring at the ever-patient Howie as he waited for his much larger home to become acceptable for his living conditions, for me to realize that good things truly DO come to those who wait.

I'll get back to my manuscript tonight... Or maybe tomorrow. Either way, I now know that patience to creating the perfect story idea, finding the time to jot down your thoughts, or actually writing out your story, is KEY.

After all, if Howie can be so chill, maybe I can be too.