Why not today?

Before 2008, if I, or pretty much anyone I knew, was asked to list out my interests or qualities, "active" would not have been very high on the list. Well, honestly, it probably wouldn't be on the list at all. I spent a lot of time doing indoor activities, and, after a childhood of pretty much the same, the old hand-eye coordination wasn't much to start with, so it seemed like every time I tried to do a thing or two actively, I was pretty disappointed. Then, I finally decided that, for my health, that would change. More of that for another blog and another time. It's a good foundation for my subject today though.

As we are known to do here in the great Northwest, our weekend this go round included a beautiful hike in the mountains. Dave and I saw a hike posted late Friday evening that looked great and took us to one of our favorite areas, so we figured it was a great way to spend a Saturday, and we packed some lunches and signed up. Since we sometimes hike with a hiking club, it is always nice to meet others who enjoy the great outdoors and have their own stories of Idaho or the area or just interesting activities. Yesterday was no exception. As we were making our way up the mountain, we were carpooling with John. John is a recently-retired 65 year old cool dude who spends his time something like this: He skis and snowshoes in the Winter, he hikes and bikes in the Spring, he rafts in the Summer and golfs and hikes again in the Fall. He doesn't watch TV. He uses technology mostly to manage his Meetup activities, and he had an interesting saying that popped up throughout our conversation: Why NOT today?

Examples for use. I really wish I could be healthier. Why not (start) today? I really wish I could get outdoors more. Why not today? I really wish I could get a better job, a better living situation, a better _________. Why not today?

For John, this question was about being active, living life and getting the most he can out of every precious day. It's not rocket science, it's not something we haven't all heard a million times, but the more I do outside, actively in my own life, amongst 60, 70, and 80 year olds, the more this rings truer and truer for me. Compare that in your mind with the last time you maybe visited a friend or loved one in the hospital, in assisted living, or even in their home, where they might be confined because of poor health. Or, just think about someone you know who is stuck in some other way and cannot move toward happiness. 

I'm usually a "that's none of my business" kind of girl, but in this case, I couldn't help sharing some of John's wisdom. If I'm lucky enough to stay healthy through retirement, I plan on giving John's list a run for its' money.

Dusting off the old novel

Is this thing on? Tap, tap ...

So, wow, it's been a while. I had to uncover this blog from about two inches of virtual dust, as it has been forever since my last post (and thankfully forever since that bounce down the stairs that inspired it). I have transitioned from the "Idaho is wonderful" theme. (Yes, it still is, but that's a secret, so no more spreading it around.) Now I'd like to find some new angles and also have a nice little outlet for some quick writing to keep my chops up. And, that brings me to the purpose of today's post .... that unfinished novel.

As far back as I can remember, I have been fascinated with books. Trips to the library back in the day really made my day, and the smell, sights, feel and wonder of books captured me early and has held me forever. I chose literature as a major in college, and even though my dream of teaching it got sidelined by a larger desire to make a better living, I hope to return to that dream one day in my semi-retirement years. So, books = major thumbs up.

A few years ago when I was bored with very few hobbies, but finally over the hump of the crazy hours and demands of my early career, I started daydreaming about delving further into my love and actually writing my own novel. Of course, I knew nothing about this really (other than my joy of reading them), but hey, I had a brand new pink Netbook and a strong will (yeah, Netbooks really stuck around, didn't they?). I decided I needed a little push, so I signed up for a basic writing course with a friend from work, got a bunch of cool supplies and enjoyed several weeks of classroom sessions regarding the task of planning for and outlining my first novel. I even got to write a few beginning chapters and share them in class, which only further solidified that this new hobby was one that was long overdue. I was anxious to see where my characters would go and anxious to share a finished product with my friends and family. The class ended, life resumed, and, as usual other stuff took priority. Because my day job involves SO MUCH TIME on the computer, I also quickly realized that picking up my tiny Netbook after hours, even to do something I enjoyed, just wasn't on the top of my list.

A couple of Winters later, I upgraded to a full-size laptop, took to the coffee shops and got a few more chapters in, but then we decided to move across the country, and I got a whole bunch of new hobbies, and my writing took a nap, yet again. I did get to start this blog and some journaling, which kept the joy alive, but the novel wasn't really going anywhere.

Life has now settled once again. We're in our home, with major projects out of the way, and thanks to a few really cool experiences over the last year (like meeting Cheryl Strayed and doing a hiking/writing workshop), I am ready to roll again. Mill Park Publishing (right here in Eagle) hosts a writing retreat, and lucky for me, I get to spend a day this weekend writing by the river, taking some workshops and re-connecting to my goals. Also, I had the good fortune to meet another absolutely fabulous all-around person, and also talented writer, Amber, (Thank you awesome Boise Italian cooking class for bringing us together.) I have a friend with a passion even greater than mine, who is helping support me back into this journey and also be an awesome retreat buddy.

My new goal (cause hey, I'm a girl who likes goals) is to have the first draft of my novel complete by September, where I hope to use the next weekend retreat as an opportunity to get some feedback and start editing, proofing and hopefully self-publishing my work. If I just get one bound copy to put on my shelf and hold, smell and thumb through, I will have marked a huge item from my bucket list.

Wish me (and my poor main character Jamie) some luck as we head back out to the crazy world of thriller writing. Good luck as well to all of those coincidentally-named characters that will meeting their fates in the coming pages. Mooohahahahaha.