Write to Live!!

I can't help but thinking about how Elizabeth Barrett's life went on a dramatic upward trajectory as she began to be recognized as a writer.  And, of course, it led to her encountering the love of her life, Robert Browning.  Life through words!

And there were a pantheon of others...Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Emily Dickenson...all whose words not only captured their lives for all time, but transcended it, to continue to inspire others for all time.  These authors found their voices in literature, and have, posthumously, helped others do the same.

My high school English teachers, Mrs. Doris Lang and Mrs. Elaine Conery (now Reece), were among the most popular with our high school graduating class.  A gift they gave us was an awareness of the power of words, whether they are to be used to craft a novel or a job-search cover letter.  Who in their teen years could have appreciated the life-juice contained in A Tale of Two Cities, or The Canterbury Tales?  Those lucky enough to be in Mrs. Lang's or Mrs. Conery's classes did.

My mother could have left this kind of legacy.  Back in 1967, for a very brief time, Mom wrote a column for the Valley News and Green Sheet, which later became part of the Burbank Leader.  As a tribute to Mom today, I offer readers a glimpse at the writing career Norma Cook had hoped to have:

I was in the seventh grade at the time of the brief run of this column, and can only recall that Mom soon got a terse letter saying that Sorry, it was fun while we printed your articles, but we can't use them anymore.  Our family pretty much gave her a collective shrug, and an "Oh, well, that's tough" reaction.  Her dream got dismissed by everyone.

Mom packed these away, and no one in our household ever mentioned them again.  I found them, yellowed but well-preserved in an album, about two years before she died.  By then, Mom was in the throes of her dementia, and didn't even remember writing them.  Along with the articles, I found a spiral-bound notebook, with the first half filled with working titles and story ideas...never to come to fruition.

I've often wondered what might have happened if Mom had experienced less indifference from our family, and gotten more encouragement to keep writing.  What if she'd found a writer's group with which to network?  What if the internet had arrived sooner for her to leverage as a promotional tool?  So sad that Mom gave this up...

For all those who write, even it's in a journal, I say treasure what you're doing and don't let anyone devalue your words and thoughts.  They are your legacy.

I'm thinking of the Biblical story of the fig tree that rotted to the ground after failing to bear fruit  Perhaps, in a way, that's what can happen when we don't share what's inside us.  Writing is, especially in this electronic age, as much a social as well as a creative outlet.  It can keep our brains active, and help us build connections to others.

Perhaps all words can be seen as forms of "social media," so keep on writing.

Directing Traffic

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, I'm back at my blog, inspired by my new participation in the great site, sixtyandme.com.  On the "Featured Contributors" page, I'm down near the end, to the left.  I'm also working with the admin folks to get more icons connected to my introduction, like Pinterest, Facebook (I'm working on a page right now),  and one I want to pay more attention to, Boomer Authority.

In about an hour, I'm going to be at my office, working my main gig as a psychotherapist.  After that, about 8 PM or so, Mountain Time, I'll be back around the social media circuit, and working on some more writing.  And please bear with me patiently, for any delays, missteps or technical glitches that may occur.  My skill is in writing, not so much IT.

This morning on goodreads.com, (another favorite site of mine) I found this:

I read hungrily and delightedly, and have realized since that you can’t write unless you read."  -- 

William Trevor

So, my friends, catch you later--and soon!  Have a great Tuesday.  

Trying Something New

Sundays are always special for me, and rejuvenating on many levels.  Since relocating here in Colorado, I have made it my firm resolve to make it a day of rest and reset.  

The day begins for me with 7:15 AM Mass, followed by scooping up a copy of the Sunday Denver Post on the way home.  For readers who are not religious, there are other Sunday-specific activities that can set this day apart from the rest of the week, such as a sunrise hike, a leisurely brunch or catch-up on a movie you've wanted to see.

Because I don't have to be on my usual sprint out the door on Sundays, while running down my mental to-do list, I can start by savoring the slower pace, outdoor quiet and bracing cool of the early air...

Once back, newspaper in hand (yes, I still enjoy the experience of hard-copy reading material), a hand-crafted omelette and a cup of tea, while enjoying the morning sun view with my kitty Tiggy, is a perfect start for the day.  Colorado Public Radio provides my preferred acoustic backdrop, and I find myself actively listening to the music and the morning host's commentary.

Recently, I decided to incorporate "new" as a byword for each day.  Seven days a week, I make an effort to either learn something new or try something new.  In the workweek hustle-bustle, it can be a challenge, and call for a conscious effort.  It doesn't have to be dramatic, though, or out of one's budget or comfort level.  Just some small difference from one's usual routine can lift a person out of a well-worn rut, as a one-time experiment, or as start of a welcome new variation.

This morning, I made my first two cups of matcha green tea latte.  Having fallen in love with the unique, grassy-pungent flavor at a local coffee/tea shop, I did a YouTube "how-to" research and compiled the core ingredients.   The matcha powder, two-percent milk, and agave nectar syrup...what could be hard about this?  I invested in a bamboo whisk, said to be essential to the process.  Lo, and behold--it did make the tea and the warmed milk frothier.

The results?  Let's say it is part of a learning curve.  I used a little too much matcha for the first cup, and slightly too much milk for the second.  Both cups were drinkable, and I've decided that matcha will be my "Sunday tea," as I arrive at just the right proportions to make it "perfect."  It will help me develop my tea-making skill, patience and in-the-moment enjoyment.

While sipping matcha at the above mentioned establishment the other day, I sat and read an inspiring article in the current issue of Columbine Courier about a "Blind Cafe" event at Columbine High School.  A link to the entire article is below, and I especially liked the report that, "The purpose of the evening is to be in the company of others, without distractions, such as cell phones and other electronic devices...".   Eating a dinner in the dark as part of a social event may strike many as foreign or unnecessary, but one of the things it achieved that it caused its participants to pay attention--to others, to the moment, and to how the event affected them.

And aren't those good reasons to try something new?

http://www.columbinecourier.com/content/enlightening-experience-dark

Back Again -- With Apologies

I feel more than a little embarrassed.  When I started blogging way back in September 2009 (https://drladyprof.wordpress.com/), I did so in a tentative way, as if lending my voice to the collective chorus was somehow self-indulgent.  It was enjoyable, though, and a way for me, inherently shy, to have a voice.  "More important" matters got in the way, and soon "drladyprof" was just another page on the web, forgotten.

On June 30, 2010, www.sagehippiephd.blogspot.com made its appearance.  This time I got a little bolder, sharing a link on my Facebook page, and was pleased when the posting got approval from my friends.  After I had settled in Colorado for awhile, that blog morphed into its current edition.

The truth is -- a successful blog is, in the best sense of the word, a relationship.  All of us have "friends" of various degrees -- the familiar Starbucks barista, or the neighbor in our complex with whom we exchange pleasantries and promises to "get together sometime."

And then--there are those who are really "there for you."  They listen.  And they show up.  I have to rat myself out here; I haven't been showing up.  Friends show up even when life throws difficulties at them, or at those around them.

I remember a professor in my doctoral program saying, "You've got to find your voice."  Writing has been my voice, and an inner voice has been nagging me, "If you're a writer,  just write, dammit!"

Someone was paying attention even when I wasn't.  Recently, I got a gracious invitation from Margaret Manning at the site, "Sixty and Me," inviting me to begin submitting pieces for women about issues important to them.  As of today, I've been promoted to the status of "Featured Contributor."  This is a validation of what I've been doing, but it's also a reminder of what I withhold from others when I don't "show up," online or elsewhere.

So, this weekend, I'm going to be taking a hard look at my daily schedule, and make showing up a priority, a labor of love.  Sixtyandme.com/author/valarie-cascadden/