Why do you write? What are you getting from attending writing groups I was asked by a friend? Do folk ask someone who sings – why? Or if someone dances – why? Or if someone plays an instrument – why? Writing is a creative expression for me, and it is the only thing I do where no one can invade the space while I am writing – my mind is free to roam. I can write about anything. It really does not have to be anything relevant. I lean toward topics that are relevant to me which of course is really important. Am I writing for fame or fortune? Ha! There are so many REALLY great writers in the universe. I am certainly not amongst the best but am not the worst.
Time is so critical to me these days and I no longer want to place my dreams or fantasies aside because I don’t make the time to do them. Hence, I am making time to write as much or as little as I want.
Periodically, I enjoy watching old TV shows. One of those shows is Murder She Wrote starring Angela Lansbury. Her character Jessica Fletcher is a well renown mystery writer who lives in the idyllic fictional town of Cabot Cove, Maine. Jessica goes for runs, rides her bike, drinks tea, writes and solves murders!
I step into her world and see myself not exactly the same but similarly – a writer, a runner – I drink tea and dispense advice on the importance of guarding your time and energy and offering encouragement through writing.
I see time in three ways – The traditional time piece – a watch, wall clock, phone, microwave that allow you to hear the tick tock.
The second time piece is an inner clock. You hear the tick tock a bit differently; it’s more of an inner nudge. We all have an inner clock – it motivates us to move forward in life, run away from things or run to things or when to have the difficult or not so difficult conversations.
The third is everyone around you in your space – their clock! Often because of someone else’s clock they may want you to take an action of some sort.
For instance, when you are young society states (and your parent/guardian agrees) it’s time to go to kindergarten – grade school – high school – college – advanced studies – time to get a job – join the family business or launch a business – time to get married – time to start a family – time to …
It became quite the challenge when the “clocks’ are not in alignment. It can lead to many types of spiritual, emotional, physical, intellectual, financial, and social upheavals.
Spiritual upheaval – maybe you are a staunch believer, and the leader of your church moves on. What about all the time you have invested in the place of worship and now the head is gone? You gleaned so much from the teachings and leadership. How do you make sense of the investment of time in the place? Well one way to look at it is time spent in God’s house is never a waste and it does state in chapter 3 of the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible there is ”a Time for Everything” under the heavens.
Emotional upheaval – A parent or loved one dies. Was it their time? I certainly cannot answer that question, but I do know that when a parent dies – your world suddenly becomes smaller and your mortality more apparent. Again, it is stated in the 3rd chapter of Ecclesiastes “there is a time to die”. What about accidents? Was it their time? What about the victims of horrific tragedies? Was it their time?
Physical upheaval – aging is certainly a physical upheaval and if we are blessed with “the physical passage of time or old age” we will experience a physical upheaval – diminished strength in the body, weakened eyesight, hair loss, hearing loss are just some of the physical upheavals. Or maybe you had strength in your legs or arms and by some illness or accident you lose a limb – what a tremendous physical upheaval. I witnessed my dad having to amputate a leg and my mother losing her mind and spirit as a result of a of disease.
Intellectual upheaval – some people experience an intellectual upheaval because they can no longer think, go insane or learning opportunities are taken away or was never allowed because of their gender, age or race.
Financial upheaval – Job loss and other means of financial support are taken away. During the Covid19 worldwide pandemic, so many persons experienced devastating financial upheavals. In many cases primary breadwinners died and financial support vanished overnight.
Social upheaval – this is a tricky one because sometime all of the aforementioned areas of upheaval can impact your social upheaval. When you lose your job and are unable to socialize with friends as much or your mate dies, or you go through a divorce and are not included as often to the group gatherings because maybe your mate was the determining factor. Your taste in activities change – maybe you give up drinking which is a huge social factor. Often folk go out for drinks after work – so if you do not drink may not be included or other social events you are automatically disregarded because of your choice not to drink.
Upheavals can be a good thing – an upheaval can allow you more “time” to create a new path.
Just because a clock goes tick tock in a certain area or at a certain point in life it does not mean any of the following: I failed a test – I will never get a job or be a success. WRONG. I don’t have children if I don’t society will judge me as being a failure as a woman. WRONG. You get my drift.
Now here’s the thing: Time waits for no one, but you must do things on your time schedule not the schedule of others. There is always enough time for the people and things you deem important in your life and lastly in God’s time everything always work out.