So you check my blog once a day or you figured out the rss feed. Or you are in my too big family (yes too big) and you read the family blog. Inevitably you will ask, what has happened to Maggie?
It's graduation time. Time for new beginnings.
Want to know what I looked into? I looked into loosing sight of the prize, moving to Costa Rica, Mexico, New York, Philadelphia, Washington State for jobs. Loosing sight of the prize, I looked into jobs that I could do from home, transcribing for some dumb company. Cha ching. $$$ Cha ching. $$$ Money and this thing they call success clouded my eyes.
I looked in so many directions, and then I looked down. There was a book at my feet, because of my sad room cleaning job. "Maggie Poet and Muse" the cover read.
It is not just a gift, as in a typical graduation present, handed over once again after crossing over the Walmart counter. No no no!
It was an acknowledgement of my identity, of my duty in life.
It is ok to write. Better is writing enough to pull something together that matters. To make words an expression of the meat of who I am. Not just an ars poetica, but an expression of politics, love, and the spirit of what matters to me. And since I am not firm on the substance of what that is just yet, I need to give myself the moment to find that out.
I have taken years off before. But never with the self prescribed structure I need. This year I will.
So I am setting rules for myself. My rules.
Because of the nature of my writing and who I am, my rules look like this:
AFTER GRADUATION 6AM-12PM Monday through Friday. Somewhere special. Like here. Outside as much as possible.
Write, disconnected from internet, not checking email or on facebook, before morning email, creating new words. Not shuffling around old stuff. But making new creative writing.
Do for One Year. Don't show a word of it to anyone. Don't talk about what I am writing too much. Don't worry when people ask what I do for money.
After the year may try to publish. But for this period, it is art, just for the sake of Literature (with a capital L).
Write on Paper. Six hours a day. Five days a week.
I will make a new set of rules if the world is still around come May, 2013.
Halleluiah. I have a plan!
Good. But your two cents went a long way. (The book had a clear message and I took it to my heart.) Also, if you want to manage the weeds in L's garden or the tomatoes I need to re-pot I happily accept suggestions - or pots of dirt.
But the best part of my plan for all family members is I won't call you before noon.
Hey, my message was meant to be simply "we love you!"
I'll happily look at your tomatoes.