Excuses, Excuses

         I suppose everyone has excuses for not accomplishing what they should at times. Perhaps it doesn’t matter to most folks, but for me, not completing tasks I have committed to doing is bothersome. The following is what’s been going on for me.

I have been neglecting my blog. It’s a fact. Why? I have many reasons, most of which don’t hold up . . . not for someone who loves to write. It’s not that I haven’t been writing. I have. I’m working on a new novel, but even that has being going in fits and starts. In the past, I have been at my computer for several hours early in the morning or all afternoon. I love becoming totally engrossed in creating a character or imagining a scene. Lately, it has been harder, and thus the excuses.

First. Okay. So, I have a new German Shepard puppy, Molly, but she is seven months old now. She is much less demanding. She can fend for herself or play with her big half-brother, Jake. That excuse is wearing thin.

Second, my husband has been around a great deal lately . . . not that that’s a bad thing; it’s simply a distraction or a disruption. “Let’s go walk the dogs.” “We need to plant the garden.” “I want to check out MSNBC.” “We should make a Costco run.” “The Warriors (or the Giants) are on in a few minutes.” Needless to say, I have found it difficult to carve out enough non-interrupted time to concentrate the way I like.

Third, I have been reading like a fiend. Seriously. I have been drawn to a number of non-fiction books about politics and about the world we live in currently. I read Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff, Russian Roulette by Michael Isikoff and David Corn, What Happened by Hillary Clinton, and A Higher Loyalty by James Comey. Fascism by Madeline Albright is on the stack in front of me. And The Soul of America by Jon Meacham is due to arrive today. I even read a children’s book, A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo written by Marlon Bundo and Jill Twiss (illustrated by EG Keller) and presented by the one and only, John Oliver. This little book is a gem! I read Still Me by Jojo Moyes, The Paris Wife by Paula McLain, Camino Island by John Grisham, and Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. Right now, I am smack in the middle of The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. Plus something “juicy” always captures my reading interest on Facebook when I tune in for a few minutes each day. 

Fourth, and this is a weak one . . . I’ve been pulling weeds. It’s spring. Everything is growing like crazy. Those pesky weeds beckon my Virgo spirit and I want to clean up, so I pick and pull until my fingernails are dirty and broken (even with gardening gloves) and my allergies are giving me fits. The sun is lovely though and I sweat through another session, satisfied that at least another section of the property looks tolerable.

Fifth – Words with Friends. Silly, isn’t it? I like playing though, win or lose. It’s another means of staying connected to friends and can be strategically interesting. 

Finally, and this is probably the most meaty excuse for neglecting my blog - I am distracted by the news, most of which I find disconcerting. Perhaps I think too much, but I would be happier if our country was not so divided, not so angry, and certainly not so volatile. Every morning I wake up, stumble into the family room and kitchen to take care of the dogs and, of course, check my phone that has been charging all night. “What crazy shit am I going to read about now?” It’s the same question each morning. If it’s not a natural disaster somewhere that grabs my attention, I learn that an insane or misguided person is up to no good. “Why don’t you blog about those things?” one might ask. Believe me, I think about it, but I don’t want to come off as a pontificator, as if my opinions are right or more correct than those of others. On my blog, I have tried to stay away from controversial issues that can be off-putting or seem judgmental though a few times I haven’t been able to help myself.  

I know I can always write a creative piece, a scene or character sketch and blog that, but, really . . . who actually cares? Those blogs are writing practice. Occasionally, a reader will respond, but in reality, I believe readers ignore them. It’s too long. It’s not important to me. It’s not relevant. It’s not interesting. I do not have time.

So, here it is, for what it’s worth – my first blog in two months (though it is number 259). My goal is to be better organized and self-directed and in the future - two blogs a week. No more excuses. 

www.jdechesere-boyle.com