40 DAYS OF WRITING

So I just spied this 40 Days of Writing page on Facebook...

The thought being that one is to write something every day for 40 days...and I stared at the page for a long time, reading everyone's comments...realizing that there are many writers out there who have put their craft on a shelf, always meaning to get back to it.

And now, here is our chance.

Hmm.

How long can you go without writing before you are no longer allowed to call yourself a writer?

My friend, Suz, and I agreed the other day that we both were never so alive, so engaged, so prolific with our writing, as when we owned our weekly newspaper, The West Central Valley Voice, several years ago. Her friend, Ed, agreed, saying how our eyes light  up as we reminisce, laugh, and yes, even wipe away a few tears  while rehashing our reporting antics. There is an energy that emanates...

Yeah. I think I was at my best personally and professionally when I was with that crazy newspaper gang-o-mine...

Writing was, is and forever will be my passion (though you wouldn't know it from my lack of writing).

I wrote for more than 40 days straight in 2011, blogging first thing every morning from Jan. 1 through March 4. Now I wake up early and instead of writing, I hop on Facebook to catch the first political news headlines off CNN, NY Times, or the status updates of my favorite left-of-center sites...

Or I stare long and hard at my yoga video that I bought 18 weeks ago and tried but only once. I envision myself mastering yoga, just as I have envisioned writing a novel or selling a short story or a funny column for a magazine.

I also stare out the living room window a lot on nice days  -- it's been a wonderful, mild, Iowa winter -- and envision myself going for daily, long walks and then coming back, sitting down, and writing.

The 40 Days of Writing folks did not plan their challenge to coincide with the 40 days of Lent, but since it does...maybe, instead of giving up something, I will add something to my life. Writing. Again.

Yup.  I'm gonna give it a shot.

Writers Write.  End, er, beginning of story.

And maybe, just for good measure, I will throw in some yoga and walking.

Hey, it could happen...