[img]396|left|Alex Campbell||no_popup[/img]Dateline Boston — Here’s the thing. You can’t plan life. That’s a lesson I’ve been working on for the past few years. I’m a major planner. I plan my day, my week, my summer, what I’m going to write in this column. Until fifteen minutes ago, I had my topic for this week all picked out. I thought about it for days. I had a photo to go with it. And then I had an emotional interaction with someone, and my column went out the window, my enthusiasm gone, like air being released from a balloon.
It’s too bad, because it was gonna be a good one. And it will be, one day. Just not today. It’s amazing how one little thing can throw you off. The negative interaction lasted about thirty seconds, but it really shook me. I changed my mind about my column topic, and decided to write about life, and how you can think it’s going to go one way, but sometimes life throws you a curve ball and you’ve got to roll with it.
Should I Do This? Or That?
I started to write, and then I took a break. During the break, I thought I’d turn the essay into a poem. A rhyme, off the top of my head. I got about three lines written, and it wasn’t working. I went back to this.
And you know what? It’s turned out to be a column about the writing process, my process in writing this particular piece. Well, it’s about life too. I could have given up, decided not to write at all. Instead, I changed direction and plugged ahead. Easier said than done, I know, but life is so much easier the less rigid you are (friends who have known me for years, yes, I’ve come a long way).
So, readers, when life doesn’t go the way you think it was going to, take a breath. Step back, think about it, and forge ahead. Life is not a straight line—how boring that would be! Ride with the ups and downs, and you’ll go far.*
Stay tuned—I have a good column coming up, with pictures. That is, unless life turns into a baseball game again, and I get thrown a curve ball. Better get my glove.
*P.S. I had trouble sending this to my editor. I’m riding with it as I type this. If you’re reading it, it went through. Deep breath.
Ms. Campbell may be contacted at campbellalexandra@hotmail.com
