What Santa Can't Bring Me
I really don't want anything for Christmas. That's the God's honest truth. Swear. If there was NOTHING under the tree for me, it wouldn't matter because I LOVE giving much more than receiving. I love finding the "perfect" thing for my friends and loved ones.
Most of the material things that delight me aren't expensive anyway. I collect Buddha statues, and I like them, but they're not expensive and when I get one I am excited, but I don't "need" any. If Santa brought me one, I would be happy. I recently got into Asian fusion music with London hip-hop mash-ups, but you know, with downloads and iTunes . . . not very expensive.
The ONE thing I want as a writer . . . Santa can't give me. And that's more TIME.
Because, in my life, the biggest obstacle in my writing career isn't writers' block (never have it). It's not worrying about selling what I write, thank God. (Okay, I worry a little--neurotic in that regard--but it hasn't been a problem--knock wood.) It's not anything but the pressures of life mixed in with trying to be a full-time writer, and most of those pressures amount to time. I rise at 5:30 in the morning, and until 10:00 p.m. or later, it's laundry and supervising homework and running after an 20-month-old, and cleaning, and . . . . and . . . four children. Simple as that. And my writing has to be squeezed in around them, which sometimes means 15 minutes here and 15 minutes there. I've trained myself not to need much time to get back into the flow of writing when I do sit down. And I do, during naptime, get uninterrupted time, and again late at night. But it's time I want, and time Santa can't bring.
So what do you want from Santa as a writer or reader New laptop? A book on writing? Or something that doesn't fit under the tree?
Oh, and if he could bring world peace, I'd want that, too.
Most of the material things that delight me aren't expensive anyway. I collect Buddha statues, and I like them, but they're not expensive and when I get one I am excited, but I don't "need" any. If Santa brought me one, I would be happy. I recently got into Asian fusion music with London hip-hop mash-ups, but you know, with downloads and iTunes . . . not very expensive.
The ONE thing I want as a writer . . . Santa can't give me. And that's more TIME.
Because, in my life, the biggest obstacle in my writing career isn't writers' block (never have it). It's not worrying about selling what I write, thank God. (Okay, I worry a little--neurotic in that regard--but it hasn't been a problem--knock wood.) It's not anything but the pressures of life mixed in with trying to be a full-time writer, and most of those pressures amount to time. I rise at 5:30 in the morning, and until 10:00 p.m. or later, it's laundry and supervising homework and running after an 20-month-old, and cleaning, and . . . . and . . . four children. Simple as that. And my writing has to be squeezed in around them, which sometimes means 15 minutes here and 15 minutes there. I've trained myself not to need much time to get back into the flow of writing when I do sit down. And I do, during naptime, get uninterrupted time, and again late at night. But it's time I want, and time Santa can't bring.
So what do you want from Santa as a writer or reader New laptop? A book on writing? Or something that doesn't fit under the tree?
Oh, and if he could bring world peace, I'd want that, too.
posted by Erica Orloff at 11:00 AM
19 Comments:
Yep, I'll certainly go with you on the world peace.
What I would really like, and it's not available at your local store, is the ability to sit down and concentrate on my writing without forever finding other things to do. Yes, there are always things to do... but my attention span is so low it's off the scale. I too write in short bursts... and somehow (with help from the fairies I think) I finish what I'm writing in a very timely manner.
And it wouldn't matter so much if I didn't spend the time I'm not writing berating my self..... so maybe I need to learn to accept the way I am.....or learn some self hypnosis techniques to get myself in the zone....
That sounds like my life, except I only have one child! The gift of time would be wonderful this year.
Louise
Sara:
Ok, so world peace . . . and concentration. :-)
I think I have attention problems, too. Either that, or I've been working in short burst for so long, that's how my mind works now.
Louise:
Yeah, four kids kind of exponentially seems like 12 or something. But whether it's 1, 4, or 10 . . . it still amounts to a LOT of work . . . and working from home just is very difficult, despite, I am sure, some people thinking that writing in your pjs is a lot of fun. Don't get me wrong, it is. But . . . the house and children are a sucking vortex of my time.
E
I remember my mum once saying to me that having two children is more than double the work of one, but after that it doesn't increase in quite the same proportion (she had 4).
I wasn't prepared to try it, so stopped at two.
World peace, yes.
And, dear Santa, more writing time would be great and a clean organized house would be more than welcome.
With working fulltime plus, I don't seem to be able to juggle both of the above. It's either a clean/organized house or I write. Right now, I'm living in clutter and writing.
There are days when I think it multiplies and grows while I write. The clutter spreads out, accumulates, and devours all the flat surfaces in the house, day-by-day, piling up, spreading out, while I sit at the keyboard, pretending to ignore it all.
With lyme disease, there are times when I simply don't have the energy to do it all. So, I suppose ignoring it is the next best thing.
I think it's admirable that you spend a lot of time with your kids, Erica. After all, you COULD always hire a nanny and rent an office. Heck, you could do that and still probably have more time with your children than most moms do.
Time is a gift from God. It's ultimately our choice as how to spend it.
Besides the aforementioned world peace and some of Sara's concentration, I'd like a new batter for the laptop and maybe a laptop case but I won't die if I get neither.
My kids are 11 and 13, doesn't make things much easier but at least they're pretty self sufficient. =)
Kathy:
So true . . . it's a choice. Clutter wins around here, hands down.
:-)
E
Sara:
I agree. Going from 1 to 2 was bad. Going from 2 to 3 seemed monumental. But then 3 to 4 was NOTHING. So I figure a 5th and 6th won't be anything but a blip. :-)
E
Jude:
I have thought of renting office space. But then, it's hard to concentrate knowing they are not near me. It's a double-edged sword.
E
Amie:
That's how I feel about a lot of things. I'd "like" something newer, but . . . eh . . . I'm fine without.
As for kids. Self-sufficient is fine, but you know, it still somehow doesn't diminish laundry and carpool duty. :-)
E
Q: Why is Santa so jolly?
A: Because he knows where all the bad girls live.
Jude:
Ohhh . . . I like that one. :-)
E
It does if you teach them to use the washer hehe
Okay that was totally flip--sorry *sigh*
You know what'd I'd REALLY like? For the kids to not fight for one day (let me clarify...be in the house together and not fight for one day). I can dream *g*
Amie:
If Santa can do world peace, surely he can handle that. :-)
Or maybe not. ;-)
E
Sara: Don't know if it's possible for you (it doesn't sound like it) but going to a cafe makes me write TWICE as much as I get done when I'm at home. Can't be distracted by other things to do if there aren't any. :)
Kathy, cut yourself some slack. There are some of us who don't have a day job, have kids in school all day, and DON'T have a debilitating illness, and STILL don't have a clean house. Okay, maybe it's just me. Really, though, I figure our kids will benefit more from witnessing their mothers pursuing their dreams than they will from clean houses (also, the dustier your house is, the less likely your kids will be to get asthma and allergies).
Amie, I was going to say the same thing! LOL My kids have been sorting their dirty and clean laundry and putting it away by themselves since they were three. I still run the actual machine, but my 11-year-old now knows how to clean the bathroom. :)
natalie:
My oldest son is actually the most helpful around the house. He will empty the dishwasher and do chores without whining. But I also have a housekeeper, without whom I would perish in a pile of rabid dust bunnies.
E
Natalie...I figure someday two women are going to thank me for teaching them to clean and do dishes and laundry *smile* And I've never been able to shake the memory of the fights Mom and I had over my room growing up. I guess it's a bit genetic so I can't blame it all on writing!
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