Monday, February 21, 2011

Zen in the Art of Life


I don't remember the infraction, but she did follow the directive and wrote the sentence 110 times—the extra ten for good measure. Sometimes you have to do a thing that many times for it to sink in. (If you're really lucky, you don't.) It was an effective consequence. For a while. But as it is, my little muse will be who she will be. And it's alright. As we all do, the girl sometimes forgets.

I've been told that I'm forgetting my children. This by my children, of course. They seem to think they've been lost to my laptop. I don't think it's true. The culprit is my mind, and its incessant swoosh of words and phrases that pull me inward and freeze me in time. I need to rectify it, obviously. And though the kids are secure in my love for them, they also need to know that they have my respect.

And I'd like to show them this without writing it out longhand 110 times.

So this being school vacation week, I'm going to be taking a little hiatus, take my kids to the movies, cook some real meals for them, play some board games, and head up north, to the mountains, where we can shoot down the trails to our hearts' desire.

It was Ray Bradbury who said that one of the most important items in a writers makeup, what shapes his material and rushes him along the road, is to look to his zest, see to his gusto.*

Time to look to, and create, some of that zest and gusto with my babes.

I'll be back, though, for the Frolic on Friday. Until then, with much zest and gusto: So long and be well!



*Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

10 comments:

  1. You will be missed, but for a great cause. Fill the well with all that zest and gusto (which always comes through in your writing, by the way). Love the song, too!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Miss you and with you on school breaks and paying attention to kids and all that good stuff. See you back soon!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Enjoy your kidlet time. I have no doubt that you will. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I relate. Have a great time with your kiddos. Those are the best kinds of hangout buddies.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I can relate, minus the kids (with my fiance). Sometimes I spend more time writing on my laptop, in frustration, trying to squeeze something out, than I do with her... which is really quite stupid, because when I spend more time with her, the writing just comes easily.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Aww...sadly missed, however time away does provide time to reflect, meditate and spend time with loved ones, in this case your muses (musii?).
    Have a brilliant time, flush out the detritus and absorb more brilliance, this time through a different medium ;)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Seré- Filled! What a few days of skiing will do... And great news from your end--so happy for you!

    Shopgirl- Glad to see you're back and feeling better. I'm feeling renewed myself, but still more to do with the little ones... ;)

    Hilary- Thanks--I always do. :)

    Stephen- Zest. What would life be without it?!

    Nessa- I didn't even miss the adult stuff. They are, indeed, great buddies. ;)

    Beer- You got it. Get some fresh air w/your lady! ;)

    Dan- Detritus is flushed! Powered right down and feel fresh as ever - but my little muse was shocked that I hadn't packed the laptop. I think it was a nice surprise for her. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have not had the pleasure of doling out lines... yet, but it is a punishment that I am more than familiar with. Pair that up with kneeling in the corner and soap on the tongue and I became a pretty respectable kid! Although I'm sure my lines had something do with, "I will not call my brother names." Your picture made me laugh!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Amanda- no doubt you and I grew up in the same city! My knees are shot, and soap anywhere near the mouth sends me running. (And the lines, oh yes, they are a pleasure!) ;)

    ReplyDelete