“Michael Goldman wrote in a poem, ‘When the Muse comes She doesn’t tell you to write;/She says get up for a minute, I’ve something to show you, stand here.” -from Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.
I have a lot of anxiety when it comes to writing. There’s the “I’m kidding myself” type of anxiety that likes to walk with me everywhere I go and tell me everyone is laughing at what I’m trying to do. Then there’s the kind of anxiety that tells me that if I don’t write it all down RIGHT THIS MOMENT it’ll pass away and I’ll never be able to name the thing that I was curious about.
But tomorrow the essay I’m to hand in has to do with high school, and there were some diary entries I referred to and a few texts to Celena regarding details of some events, but, for the most part I’m recalling what it was that happened when I was “standing there” twenty some years ago.
I like the word “muse” just as much as I like the word “creatives,” which is not one bit, but it’s pretty cool to think that something inside of me was keeping a memory for me while I was taking it all in.
Laura Brown says
Now I’m doubly glad I did not include “creatives” in my list of people in my post today!
Writing things down to preserve them is good, of course, but there are other kinds of memories too. Some are recorded in the body. Writing mercies that yours will yield themselves.
calliefeyen says
I just love this comment. And I’ve been thinking about your post from Saturday since I read it.
Sara McDaniel says
I’m glad you showed me the beautiful photos. That’s what I like about your writing…it gets inside of me. Just me, even though you are sharing with everyone. Also, I love how you take pictures of feet!
calliefeyen says
Thanks, Sara. I really appreciate this comment because my hope is that in my writing I’m sharing something that readers resonate with. I always get a bad feeling when writers declare that “this is MY story.” It’s important to me that readers can take away something away from what I write.
alison says
are your kids just sliding down the sidewalk because it was so icy? that’s awesome.
calliefeyen says
Haha! Yup! And they did it because I did it first. 🙂