A Writer Who Doesn’t Write

A few years back, a good friend of mine challenged me to write 300 words a day for entire year. As I recall, my life at the time wasn’t going so well. The COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing, and it had done a number on my life.

By the time of this challenge, I had been recently laid off from my job as copywriter for a public relations firm due to the instability of the pandemic. I was recovering from diminished lung capacity, unexplained inflammation, and a rapid loss of weight (40 pounds in two months) due to complications from COVID-19. My first marriage also failed during the pandemic, and I was adjusting to the reality of being a single dad with limited resources.

I was mourning the loss of routines, friendships, and financial stability. My trajectory seemed derailed. My neighborhood changed. Invitations to birthdays and gatherings I had attended religiously for more than a decade ground to a halt. People I had laughed and cried with for years pushed me out to sea to be with friends who were less sad and more successful. I was surrounded by “doom piles” that never seemed to go away.

Writing is who I am. But aside from the writing I did for work, writing was the last thing on my mind. When I wasn’t in court and parenting a toddler on my own, I was freelancing for any blog that would accept my writing.

At the time, the invitation to write 300 words a day (for myself) sounded like a massive burden. At this time, I am more healed, more confident, and more conscious of where (and with whom) I spend my energy and the invitation to write feels like a way to turn pain into movement and expression.

I’m reminded of the Og Mandino quote from “The Greatest Salesman in the World”: My dreams are worthless, my plans are dust, my goals are impossible. All are of no value unless they are followed by action.

This blog is an attempt to take some action (or at least sharpen my tools). If you follow this blog, I promise I won’t just write about things that make me sad. There will be joy, wonder, music, gardening, experimentation, and probably some pictures of birds. Let’s see what develops.

— J