So, I've been away from writing full time for a while now. The experts aren't kidding when they say if you don't write every single day you slowly fall away from your goals and dreams. Goals. Bingo! I've been thinking about goals for a while now as I watched my writing life disappearing in my rear view mirror while everything possible ate away at my dreams. I did a bit of research and dredged up a lot of information from my Student Council days regarding goals. I'll write more about that later.
So what happened to me? I was on a roll, churning out chapter after chapter and rough draft after rough draft. Then bam. Nothing. I took a tumble over one of my niece's toys and banged my left temple against her wooden toy box. I may even have knocked myself out there for a while - we'll never know because I was alone with a two year old. This happened just before the pandemic hit, so while all my writer friends were able to leverage that time in isolation into some excellent writing time, I was learning how to use my left eye correctly and pretty much forbidden to be on the computer or read or even listen to anything - my brain needed a reboot. Six months of vestibular therapy and I was still heaving my guts out when the bells at school rang. Dark rooms and silence were my friends.
Then, there it was - light at the end of the tunnel - I was three days away from being cleared by my concussion specialist and Fate strikes again. My sister's cat peed all over the laundry room floor, which is polished ceramic tile. It's beautiful to look at, but a real danger to klutzes like myself when wet. Yes, that was me. I slipped in it and went down. Hard. Banged up both my head and my right knee. Back to the concussion therapist I went. Fortunately, he shares an office with an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in knees. Now I also have a new knee. Yes, the damage was so catastrophic that I required a total knee replacement. I'm nearing the one year mark and it's finally starting to feel like a part of my own body instead of an alien appendage slapped on there for laughs. So, my writing has had to take a backseat to the healing of my body. Now that I'm feeling more like myself, I'm ready to dive back in, but boy does it look like a huge jump. I've read a few things I had been working on just prior to the traumatic concussion and it's like someone else wrote it. So, I'll dust off my goal setting skills (which I will write about soon!!!!) and jump back into the fray. Yep, I have a long row to hoe as the saying goes, but I am determined to stick with it and remain whole and safe!