Ireland from Geographical Fun, or Humorous Outlines of Various Countries by William Harvey
What I know now: Even if I had had a map from the start, it wouldn't have done me any good. Like old lives, maps in this world, or any world, are something of an illusion. They change all the time. Katherine Russel Richfrom Turning a Death Sentence Into a Passport for Life
The problem with being healthy, is that you think you have time. And so, you procrastinate, and perfect, in equal measure.
I can't remember which writer was given one year to live, who in that year wrote three novels, maybe six, as I'm misremembering.
I'm not knocking being healthy. I'm grateful. Truth is, I'm living in the illusory world of Time. I think I have a lot. And I really hope I do. But, I haven't finished my novel yet. And I never, ever will, unless I sit my ass in the chair, and finish that crummy first draft.
A day job, is a means to an end. A means that exhausts. What I know, is that I have friends who knock out pages, crummy or brilliant, before they leave for their day jobs.
Upon learning she had stage iv breast cancer, Katherine Russel Rich wrote the following: When I was told I was going to die, I was shredded to realize I hadn't made any real difference. The life of a writer was uncertain, but as a writer, it seemed, I might leave a mark.
Life is uncertain. What is certain is that we're all going to die.
So, what's the worst that can happen if you take that chance, write that novel, switch jobs, get a divorce, tell the truth, take that trip? You might just go up in flames, but you did it, and now you know you did it. And if you fail? So what. Keep going, keep failing, keep moving forward.
I think the real lesson in life is that the heart is the one, true compass. So, go ahead and do what your heart tells you.
No comments:
Post a Comment