Write a Book

If I have talked about this before, forgive me.

 

So when I was a freshman in college, my English professor told my mom that I should be a an English major as I "had a lot of potential."  My mom laughed as she knew the state of my spelling and grammar skills.  Even before the arrival of spellcheck, the professor assured her that was a minor detail.  In spite of the affirmation, I majored in Home Economics. Somewhere along the line mom must have decided that the English professor had a point.  She has been telling me for many years now that I should write a book.  My usual response is "Mom, the world doesn't need any more books, have you seen the clearance racks at the book store?!"  I do not feel like people are lacking in material to read but that isn't the real reason I decline.

 

It is a patience and persistence issue.  I do better with quick and easy projects.  That is why when I look at the daily 'All About Knitting' e-mails, I look at the patterns that say "2 hour project" or "fast and easy." I don't knit sweaters with details, blankets with multiple rows, or even socks with fine yarn.  Geez, that last dish cloth with the cotton yarn and #5 needles almost did me in.  I like to make head warmers, scarves with thick yarn, small dish scrubbies and itty bitty gnome hats.  I enjoy the creative process but I better have a product soon or I lose interest and it becomes part of a pile in the corner. It is for this reason that my friends did not receive Christmas cards.  I designed a homemade card at Thanksgiving time and got as far as printing the inside sentiment. But because the outside embellishment was taking longer than I hoped, I never finished them.  I have been collecting empty gift cards to make recycled art.  Currently I am making guitar picks and guitar pick jewelry.  I have tools and have made a few prototypes.  They are fun and easy.  But thanks to friends and kind clerks at Target and Starbucks, I have accumulated a large pile of gift cards.  And I feel it happening, this little craft is becoming BIG and overwhelming and I am getting itchy.  I fear this could be another craft in the corner.

 

Therefore the thought of writing something makes me nervous.  It seems so big and I can't get started.  The truth is sometimes these projects don't really take that long, but in my mind it is so big that I can't begin.  For several years I wanted to write my mom a personalized poem.  At her urging I made one for Dad the first time he retired.  Therefore I felt it was fitting to do so for mom after her retirement.  It was probably five years after her retirement that I finally did it after much thinking, talking  and guilt for not doing it.  Then one Christmas Eve I sat down and wrote it within half an hour.  It took five years to do something that really only took thirty minutes. 

 

With the knitting I have learned to tackle smaller projects and enjoy the process with it's quick outcome.  In a way I am learning to do the same with the writing.  It is one of the reason's I have this blog. There even was a time that I wrote "jacket covers" of novels.  It gave me a chance to create characters and scenarios with little commitment.  Recently when a friend text me that she wanted a hymn about Jesus' Love being sweeter than brownies, I wrote her one in 20 minutes. She had low expectations and there was no pressure. (Also I was probably procrastinating something else at the time.)  One of the hobbies that I have had for many years is creating song and book titles.  In fact the name of this blog is inspired by one of my early book titles.  I used to say that the autobiography about my life before Uganda was going to be titled "Where is Yonder?" The book about my life in Uganda was going to be "I Found Yonder." And the book about post Africa life would be titled "To Yonder and Back." 

 

Recently I have come up with a new set of autobiographical titles.  To help you understand context though I need to talk about hair for a moment.  I have long brown hair and these strands can be found throughout the house.  It has often annoyed Peter when he comes across one.  I personally am not very happy either when I find one on my kitchen counter.  Peter's hair is different.  When his short curly hair falls out on the sink in the bathroom it is in the form of dark black circles. And now as it is being grown out because Peter is no longer in Military School and mom has decided to let go, it falls out in fuzz balls. So back to the book.  From the time Peter and I became a family I have thought the autobiography of life with Peter would be called "For Pete's Sake." Then a few years ago I decide instead that it should be called "Circles In My Sink."  Recently I decided to make it a two part series.  The early years would be "Circles In My Sink" with the adolescent years falling under the title, "Fuzz on the Floor."

 

The truth is sometimes I feel compelled to embark on a project that requires patience and perseverance.  Remember the Half Marathon?  I did knit dad a blanket once.  Okay so it did use big chunky needles and multiple strands of yarn. I desire to make longer projects really.  I want to finish and send out the Christmas Cards for next year.  I want to make a weather inspired throw blanket.  And so who knows maybe some day I will write a book.  You can look for it on the clearance rack.