DIGGING

Let’s start with some simple math: after ten postings I’ve had—what?—one hundred fifty hits—fifteen hits a day? In the words of a past American Idol contestant: "Not too shabby." Am I, in the words of my coworker and horticulture teacher, dying on the vine here? I don’t think so. Even if no one visits my blog (not counting my brother) I’ll still keep doing it for the sake of writing. Yeah, you’re probably thinking it’s time to put the boots on. But hear me out. The reason I started this project is to loosen up my writing style, to become undisciplined. By undisciplined I mean writing every day about whatever strikes my fancy, which in turn, means not beating myself up over an unproductive day. In other words, being undisciplined is my solution to dealing with perfection, thus blogging. Striving for perfection, you see, drove me down a dead end street. Every day became Ground Hog’s Day. I’d rework two or three stories ten feet into the ground until the hole collapsed. Once the hole collapsed I’d have a whole new set of issues to deal with regarding the same two or three stories. Sometimes it’s better to just let go, to quit being afraid of your own shadow (pardon the pun). Also, it’s not good to be, as some of my students would advise me, "white and uptight." Yesterday morning I sent out two stories to four different journals. Now I can generate some fresh ideas, mainly through blogging.