The last few days in Sherbrooke have been cold, hovering around -23°C. It warmed up enough briefly for about 2 cm of snow to accumulate, and then the temperature plunged again. Today the sun is shining, but it’s still cold, and a light snow tumbles to the ground.
One of the first things I had to do when I decided to move to Sherbrooke was learn to drive my partner’s jeep, which is a standard. Sherbrooke is a city of hills, a great place to learn to drive a standard, or so I have been told. I’m not convinced of that yet.
Learning to drive a standard makes me think a lot about writing. There are times when I’m going to stall and struggle to get out of first gear. There are other times when I wonder why I can’t get moving at all, only to realize (once it’s been pointed out to me) that I’m still in third gear. The hills are the most daunting of all, afraid that I’m going to roll back into the car behind me.
Daily practice makes all the difference.
That’s why writing is like driving a standard. There are days when I simply have to show up at the page, despite my mood, and write. Sometimes it feels like I’m stranded at the bottom of the hill, and that the goals I have set for myself are far away, eluding me. But each day that I write, I sharpen the saw. There’s less risk of me stalling, of being stuck in third gear.
Yes, writing is like driving a standard and today, settling back in to write, I’m cruising right along.
One of the first things I had to do when I decided to move to Sherbrooke was learn to drive my partner’s jeep, which is a standard. Sherbrooke is a city of hills, a great place to learn to drive a standard, or so I have been told. I’m not convinced of that yet.
Learning to drive a standard makes me think a lot about writing. There are times when I’m going to stall and struggle to get out of first gear. There are other times when I wonder why I can’t get moving at all, only to realize (once it’s been pointed out to me) that I’m still in third gear. The hills are the most daunting of all, afraid that I’m going to roll back into the car behind me.
Daily practice makes all the difference.
That’s why writing is like driving a standard. There are days when I simply have to show up at the page, despite my mood, and write. Sometimes it feels like I’m stranded at the bottom of the hill, and that the goals I have set for myself are far away, eluding me. But each day that I write, I sharpen the saw. There’s less risk of me stalling, of being stuck in third gear.
Yes, writing is like driving a standard and today, settling back in to write, I’m cruising right along.
I am glad you are settling in, sweetie. Good luck with the creative process!
ReplyDelete