Dry Spell

It has been a long, hot summer ~ literally and figuratively.

This summer has been one of the hottest I have experienced here in Houston. Every day, as the mercury in the thermometer rose (or the digital display in the truck went to triple digits, you choose. Who uses a real thermometer these days anyway?), I watched the grass turn brown in my lawn and the water level recede in my pool. Things naturally slow down during summer. Growth dissipates, sometimes even dies off, and the brilliance of nature fades in color and intensity.

What I didn't realize until just today is how that same concept applied to my writing this summer: I haven't posted in almost three weeks.

It's not because I had a dearth of topics. Anyone who followed me from winter into spring surely remembers my trip to Austin. I started updating with the intention of writing something daily. I was exercising daily and having fun, exciting thoughts that I could have shared.

But something happened in August. I could blame it on being busy with the kids' activities. NOT! My kids are older and don't require a daily chaperoned schedule anymore. In fact, more often than not even though they were home, all they required of me was that I keep the kitchen stocked with food ~ junk food. Pizza, hamburgers, chips, ice cream. "Mom, can you buy some soda?" It was enfuriating and it ran me down.

When children in other cities were heading back to school in the beginning of August, I kept thinking to myself, why not my kids? Why do they need all of August off? Oh, that's right, it's not about the kids, it's about the teachers (I'm a teacher, so I feel fairly safe in this assessment).

But I digress. I blame neither my children nor the school district for this one. The blame lies with me, wholly and completely.

The truth of the matter is, I lost my enthusiasm for my writing. The ideas were coming but I failed to see the point of posting because it appeared to me that not many readers were reading. This is a big taboo with writers, especially fledgling writers like myself. Virtually every self-help book on the market preaches about writing for oneself: write the story and don't worry about who is reading or what is being said.

Unfortunately, in my case not many were reading and little was being said. (Don't get me wrong, I was overjoyed with even the smallest comments. Sometimes the least verbose are the most powerful. I am still learning that lesson!)

...until the other day when I found out inadvertently that another one of my friends has been reading my blog. I also found out that she enjoys it. I admonished her to become a follower. If she does, I will have three ~ thanks Carol and D, whoever you are ~ not including myself :)

As I will do to all of my lurking fans out there, whoever you may be. Please follow me, if for no other reason than to give me the impetus I need to keep writing. If you like me, follow me.