“We are so scared of being judged that we look for every excuse to procrastinate.”
― Erica Jong, Seducing the Demon: Writing for My Life

There comes a time in every writer’s life when no matter how hard one tries, the words in one’s brain refuse to go any further… I would think after 15 years in the newspaper business… writing on deadline, pushing out stories, features and breaking news… that I am beyond that issue. Apparently there is no vaccine or immunity to writer’s block…

Sure, my first two blog posts got good reviews but then the doubts creep in… what if they were only being nice… what if they thought they could have done better but didn’t want to discourage me….. So then, I wondered about topics… I know this blog is supposed to be eclectic… but I am seriously glad this is NOT a weekly or daily blog….

“The best part about procrastination is that you are never bored, because you have all kinds of things that you should be doing.”

Just as I thought about sitting down to write, a dear friend asked if I would proof HER blog… Oh joy, I thought, I can do that and justify NOT working on MY blog… Awesome!

(“I was going to the Procrastinator Club meeting but it was postponed…” sez Mama… Hush I say, Mama, you just broke my train of thought… “Fiddlesticks,” Mama huffed, “Yer train never got out the station!” MAMA!!)

It’s always something, isn’t it, something that needs to be done NOW…. The dog needs to be walked, you need to start/eat dinner, the kids need their bath and bedtime story, the cat just hacked up a hairball on the antique braided rug… Mark Twain was fond of saying, “Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well.”

Not only must you have the time to blog, you must have the inspiration, the creativity, the depth of thought to take it from your brain to paper or screen. You must have a plan, a justification…raison d’écrire…

And that goes for anything you do in your life… if it is important… DON’T put it off until later… DO IT NOW… You want to continue your education… Oh I can’t, you say. That would take me four years… If you don’t, where will you be in four years? Four years older and still without that degree. You want to get in better shape? Okay, I’ll finish this bowl of ice cream and start exercising tomorrow…. NO, start today because tomorrow is not promised, only today and now is certain. Give someone a hug… Tell someone you love them…. No more procrastinating!!

So, for now… K.I.S.S… and be good to each other….