Deliberate Digressions

After reading my friend’s blog for a few months, I’ve decided to try my own hand at blogging.

This friend and I co-facilitated a creative writing workshop in New York City nearly 15 years ago. We dreamt of writing the next great American novel, or becoming great poets. As of today, neither of us have published much beyond what we self-published back in those workshop days. Our literary dreams took a backseat to the more mundane tasks of building a career, starting a family and creeping towards middle age.

I have since finished graduate school, gotten married, and moved cross-country to California, and only see my friend once every couple of years when I get a chance to visit NYC.

We hadn’t spoken of writing in years. But then, about a year ago, I was browsing the catalog at my local library and noticed that a mutual workshop friend of ours had actually gotten published, and further, that his book had been made into a film. This got us pining for our old workshop days, and brought up our regrets at allowing our writing dreams to falter.

My friend started blogging, and occasionally, I’ve been reading his blogs. He’s written some blogs that have really struck a chord with me. They have been timely, poignant, and humorous.

After reading them, I’ve been tempted to start blogging a few times myself, but have always made the excuse that I’m too busy with work and the kids. I think the truth is really that I’ve been afraid to blog because my writing skills have grown rusty with disuse, and I’m embarrassed at the drivel that I may produce.

After the past few hellish weeks/months at my job, I got an e-mail this week accusing me of not doing enough to move the project forward. It forced me to evaluating possible job and career changes and realized that I can’t see myself staying in the stressful, micromanaging environment that passes for project management in corporate America for much longer.

I also realized that deep down, I still long to write and to be read. It’s time for me to get past my fears and get back in the writing saddle again.