Image courtesy of www.zazzle.com .
I'm afraid my closely guarded solitude causes some hurt feelings now and then .
But how to explain, without wounding someone , that you want to be wholly in the
world you are writing about , that it would take two days to get the visitor's voice out
of the house so that you could listen to your own characters again ?
~Margaret Bourke - White ~
Just over a year ago, my husband Steve , our 2 cats , Ninja and Smokey, and I made a
major move . We left a large city's apartment and moved to a smaller town in Central
Oregon and into a 55 + building that is nowhere near a major interstate .
It was a really good opportunity and one we knew had come our way from God
Himself as big city life had left us weary and craving a slower , quieter pace .
This was our first experience in living in a 55 + building and we had not known what
to expect from our much smaller building and it's occupants . I just just new that I
wanted a better life for us and some more space for creative endeavors . And for me
that main creative endeavor is writing .
I've been writing for quiet awhile now . Mostly poetry , but like many writers of poetry or writers in general , I have a
few items that are not poetry but are songs and stories still awaiting my attention .
Still awaiting completion . Still waiting to have life breathed into them from my pen .
But the constant cacophony of life next to a major interstate was slowly sucking the
life out of me , bit by noisy bit .
So we made the move across the state . Away from people we loved . Away to a much
smaller and quieter town . A place I had hoped to get more writing done . And I have
gotten some more writing done but not as much as is possible for various reasons .
Some of it has been the neighbors fault . They often show up unannounced wanting
to just visit . I don't have that kind of time most days. After caring for my husband
and cats and our apartment , there is little precious time for my writing so I closely
guard my solitude and quiet time out of necessity . Many do not understand that
and this saddens me .
Recently someone took offense that I was loathe to remove the note from our front
door that indicated we were napping and wished to not be disturbed . This person
was merely an acquaintance from another country and they were on my Face Book
friends list . They said I was rude and selfish for not wanting to remove the note
from our door immediately upon waking from our nap . This person is no longer on
my list . They didn't understand the differences in personalities (I am an introvert
who needs my quiet and solitude to recharge) nor did they know what we've walked
through personally ;things that have left us exhausted .
They just got hurt feelings over my closely guarded need for solitude . I think maybe
that's something most writers have had to deal with from time to time unless they're
the kind of writer who loves to write in crowded coffee shops . I'v never been that
kind of writer . I think best when I have a quiet place to think and to write . But to
many in this decidedly extroverted world , that comes across as rude and selfish .
And it's really too bad because I believe many great pieces of literature may have
been written from behind closed doors , in a quiet sanctuary ,with a sign on the door
, that may have said "Napping.Do not disturb." Or better yet , "Writer at work. Do
not disturb. " In closing , let me ask , "What challenges do you face as a writer ?"
Are you a "coffee shop" writer or a "closed door"writer ?
Until next time ~ Sharon
