Well. Three months without an update isn’t too bad, is it?
Wait. Yes it is.
It’s been a really busy summer here in Delaware. I’ve been all over the country and all over the world, as a matter of fact. In the last two months I’ve been to almost a dozen different states and a foreign country, not to mention I’ve picked up a few new hobbies and found at least a dozen more houses I didn’t want to buy (and one that I did, but that didn’t work out). With all that going on, my writing and blogging have taken an unfortunate back seat to the rest of my life.
You see, the funny thing about the need to write is that it sneaks up on you. So every so often I find myself in a funk. I feel grumpy, twitchy, and in a general sense of malaise. Then I remember that it’s been nearly a month since I did any serious writing and everything clicks into place. So I sit down at my desk and type, or lay down on my bed with pen and paper and write longhand. It doesn’t matter what, I just need to write. A paragraph, a page, a whole story. It’s a strange sensation, writing. You dig deep into your psyche and let what needs to come out come out. Everything I write has a small piece of my soul in it. So just remember that, when you read what I’ve stuck up here. You’re getting a peek into the inner workings of my head.
Feel free to run screaming in terror. Just remember to shut the door on the way back out.
All that pretentious B.S. aside, writing is something that’s intensely cathartic for me. I use my stories, poetry, and even these blog posts to talk about things that are very important to me, whether it’s about religion, politics, music, or my own issues that need to be let go.
There’s been a lot of that going on in my life recently. House hunting has taken more time than I expected, and it’s been a lot more stressful than I’d hoped. Work is enjoyable, but it’s also high-stress because of all the projects I’m working on and how high-priority some of them are. My health is always a concern, of course, and the fact that I’ve gained weight* again is certainly irritating, but that’s at least moving in somewhat of the right direction.
On the positive side, I’m working with a new non-profit organization, which is highly enjoyable and very rewarding (if somewhat time-consuming). I’ve started getting more into woodworking, which is in itself deeply satisfying because I actually have physical things that I can say I made. There’s a lot of pride that comes from actually having stuff, and nice stuff at that, that you yourself crafted. I’ve got some beer brewing (which will be ready soon!) and more to brew next month (PUMPKIN TIME!).
The thing that’s mildly aggravating about all of this is that, while I COULD be writing about it, I haven’t been. I’ve been spending my time doing other things, like all those things I just talked about. I have a full and fulfilling life, which takes up a lot of my time. But something I’ve learned about myself is that I have to actually take time and collect my thoughts now and again, or I start to get a lot of things in my head that really don’t need to be there. Doubts, fears, and anxiety tend to build up in large quantities. It’s not fun. So here I am, talking a little bit about that and letting some of the pressure out. It’s a thing that needs to happen more often, and that I resolve to do.
So I’m asking you, imaginary readers, to help me out a bit. Hold me to the fire. If I don’t write for a week or two, remind me of this post. Remind me when I said that I need to write for my own sake, and the sake of people who I interact with on a daily basis. Because really, no one wants to deal with someone who’s grumpy all the time, and I don’t want to be that guy.
Anyway, that’s all from me for now. More later (maybe tomorrow, maybe next week, but no later than next week, I promise!).
Until then, may your yeast always be happy.
Skål!
Two Ravens Brewing 