On a recent Sunday afternoon I decided to plant flowers. I’d poured two five pounds of dirt in one of those blue, plastic kiddy pools and added some amenities to it. With the garden fork I stirred the mixture until everything was perfectly blended. As I scooped dirt from the pool to the pots, I thought of all the work I needed to do. Editing, writing, lesson plans, rehearsals, house cleaning— Instantly I became overwhelmed and found myself almost to the point of tears. My To-Do-List weighed on my mind like a ton of bricks. And to think people think I have it all together. HA! There I sat on the deck, which needs painting, in my old blue jeans with the hole in the knee, flip flops and an oversized purple shirt wondering how in the hell I would get everything done. Then Foxy, the beautiful tan and white kitty who took up with me about a year or so ago walked up. He stepped on me like I was just another board on the deck. He meowed as he circled me rubbing his long sleek body against me. Then he looked at me then at the kiddy pool filled with dirt.
How do you stay motivated and sassy? This is my most frequently asked question. As I sat petting Foxy and looking into his dark brown eyes, I felt this sudden sense of awareness that I wasn’t the only person in this world. It is my opinion that this awareness and openness to others’ points of view is at the root of my motivation as a writer and my sass as the Boa Flouncer.
Foxy moved away from me and examined the kitty pool more thoroughly. The birds shrilled high up in the tall leafy oaks and pines that shade the spacious yard mostly covered in flowers, grass and kitty cats. I left the deck and continued with my planting. I filled pots with dirt and planted an array of beautiful blooming petunias, impatiens, and princess feathers as the tree limbs swayed gracefully in the gentle breeze. I’d renewed my commitment to having a relaxed evening of planting flowers and enjoying the peacefulness of the yard just as I have to continuously renew my commitment to the craft of writing.
Each day I procrastinate, talk about writing and then finally I write. I can spend hours agonizing over one word – okay this is tantamount to confessing that I dress up in my boa and high heels to take out the garbage. I’m a nerd with sass. It is difficult for people to bridge the gap between me the writer, who writes ten pages then rips it apart, and me the Boa Flouncer who steps up in anybody’s spot with heels that match her hair. I’m either a nerd or a big ole party girl. But when I write I want my characters to be themselves just as I am.
Understanding that I am not the only living thing in this world is—
I was on the deck hangin’ with the other cats and sniffin’ catnip when I noticed the woman pouring dirt into a big blue litter pan. I thought this was cool and different. I came here about a year ago. Me and my sister BW started comin’ here mainly because this place had some of the best food on the block. The woman sat on the deck – if you ask me it really needs paintin’ – so I went over to speak to her. She petted me as she often does but there was no steak, no cheese, no cream so I thought something was wrong with her. She kept looking at the blue pan so I looked at it too. Then she got up and started playin’ in it. I watched her for a while. These humans couldn’t survive if they didn’t have us cats around to explain things to ‘em. So while she was scoopin’ dirt and carryin’ on I went over to the pan and tried to explain to her what it was used for. She patted me on the head and smiled. Now I love my woman but sometimes I think she’s a few kibles shy of a real bit, if you know what I mean. Like the time I saw her struttin’ down the driveway in heels and feathers draggin’ the garbage can behind her. Now that was funny but playing in the litter pan was disgusting. So I got into the big plastic pan and showed her what to do with it. She held her nose and stepped back. Then the fool got the shovel and scooped it out and continued puttin’ dirt in those cute little pots. I just shook my head and went back to the deck. Humans, you can’t tell ‘em nothin’ but you gotta love ‘em.
…the one thing that keeps me motivated. I would say that I stay motivated and sassy by understanding that there are other points of view, renewing a commitment to myself and to my crafts and I am comfortable with myself and I am comfortable with others being themselves.
Life is too short to miss any opportunity to strut toward your dreams!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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