Sunday, July 21, 2013

i'm not complaining

I'm not complaining. Even though the temps have been in the 90s with 90% humidity, even though my plants are wilting in the sun, even though I'm sitting here in a pool of sweat--I'm not complaining.
 

Six months ago, I complained, and look what happened. I griped about having to put on a jacket, hat, scarf, and mittens just to take the dogs out. I cursed the icy roads. I couldn't get warm. I longed for the day I could step outside in just a tee shirt and shorts, hop in the car and take off without worrying about snow, warm my bones...



...so, I'm not complaining about the heat.

Six years ago I remember complaining because I longed to write but couldn't make time for it. I was still in medical practice and I didn't like the direction the American health care system was taking. I longed for the day when I could set my own hours, make friends with my muse, and write in blissful solitude. So I retired...and for a couple of years, I wrote my little heart out.

Then...I tried to publish what I had written.


www.funfeelingslife.wordpress.com 
 
If medical practice with its frustrations and disappointments was winter for me...then trying to get published is like trying to survive a heat wave. I don't want to go back to winter, but summer isn't what I had hoped for, either.

When I started to write I had no MFA (nor do I now), no acquired expertise, and no prior experience. I was generally clueless about what to expect. It turned out to be harder than I imagined. Still, I wouldn't change things for the world. I can put up with a little heat if it keeps winter away.

The moral of this post is:

Be careful what you ask for...and don't complain when you get it!
 
It's time to turn the AC up and get back to work.
*
"If you don't ask...
they can't say yes."
--quoting my friend Nancy--
*
 ps.: During a heat wave, ice cream is your best friend.
jan



4 comments:

  1. Great comparison. I actually love summer, heat, humidity and all. Though winter is sometimes beautiful, I hate the cold. I couldn't wait to retire and write full time. So far, so good.
    And I think I'll have ice cream for dinner.

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    Replies
    1. I'm so glad you're writing full time now. For me, it's the perfect life no matter what the weather.

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  2. Ice cream is ALWAYS the best friend. :)

    ReplyDelete