My Saturday, A Writing Challenge For the Week

Did you ever read a book or an article or even listen to a podcast and think the author is speaking TO YOU?  He or she knows what you are going through…knows your thoughts…and has practical answers for your life?

It doesn’t happen often but last week, I listened to this podcast and was immediately mesmerized.

And then I started reading the interviewee’s famous book: Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott.  (I had ordered the book a few years ago – and never ever read it)

Anne Lamott.  And…I’m hooked.  Smitten.  A new disciple.

She is smart, thoughtful, spiritual without overkill, hilarious and self-deprecating, and often very practical.  And while we are very different people – she is religious, me…not so much, she dreamed of writing as a child, I was a “math person” all my life, I hated English class, she is west coast hippy, I am east coast straight-laced, she is a mother, I am not…I could go on and on about how much I love her and her ideas. I mean “Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people”?  Genius!

Writing is just getting down to it…something you should do at a set time every day (not just when you wait for magical inspiration to strike)…a slog, often, of “shitty first drafts”.

I’m challenging myself to do it daily this week.  8am.  At my desk.  And while she didn’t mention blasting it out to the world – her writing guide was actually written in 1994.  (The era of self-publishing was a ways off…the first Kindle wasn’t introduced until 2007)  I’m doing it anyway…keeping myself accountable.

Please let me know if you have any topics in mind.  I’m always ALWAYS open to suggestions!  [email protected]

(Please keep in mind that stuff like “Best tour guides in San Pedro” – would require me to pay for and go on scores of trips – or “Your Best HealthCare Insurance Plan for Belize” – is above my paygrade!)

Here are a bunch of pics from my last few days.  We had some HEAVY rain on Thursday – sun and then a squall and then sun…and more name at night.  But then, as now Hurricane Ida, veered east and missed the Yucatan altogether, the weather cleared up beautiful and the humidity dipped and Friday was summer weather perfection.

Pictures at Cayo Frances Farm and Fly.

After the rains, the Rain Lilies bloom.  Beautiful little amaryllis bulbs.

And then the beautiful weather.

The Mosquit-o-meter stairs and the crazy gas/diesel can collection.

Beautiful and very shallow.

Elsie watching for her dad to come home…watching for his boat.

Seeds from the white mangrove.

And seeds of the red mangrove – ready to drop in the water and float to their next location.

The local kinep tree is producing fruit.  It’s a race against the birds – the birds ALWAYS win.

SOMEHOW while moving around in the little skiff, Andress, our camp manager, is able to spot lobster and then spear them with a push pole…before I’ve seen a thing.  NO lobster is safe on his watch.

That’s that.  It’s a pretty HOT day out.  Very very still so far…

I’ll talk to you tomorrow.