Live Like A Lion

Well, I've had a busy week. My dad has been poorly for a month. For the first time in thirty plus years I managed to get him to see a doctor. Now he has made three visits with a trip to the hospital thrown in too. he isn't better yet, but he might just be on the mend.

As you can imagine, all the worry had an adverse effect on my writing. Consequently, I haven't done as much work on the final read through of my latest novel this week. As you will have gathered from earlier blog posts, I am learning to avoid self-flagellation and, although I do plan, some times you've just got to take each day as it comes.  There are times when even the best laid plans fail, or need to be changed.

One plan that didn't change this week was my lunch date with two dear friends, one of whom came up from Kent. I first met her when I worked at our local Council. Not only is she a much loved friend, she also used to be my hypnotherapist and has helped me immensely in my private and professional life. Thus, it was no surprise that she had some mighty words of wisdom.

As we pondered life and gossiped over our gnocchi and merlot, she told me that life is to be embraced. It is to be lived. She has just returned from a mindblowing trip to China and Nepal where she was blessed by a Buddhist monk and suffered a bout of altitude sickness.

We discussed her adventures and much more. One question we did ponder was, if you could do something that you never had the chance to do before, be it through lack of funds or opportunity, what would it be?

I would have liked to be an archeologist. I find the subject fascinating and wish I could find something valuable (historically not financially) in my back garden, instead of worms, lizards (however cute) and bits of broken brick from when the houses were first built.

Of course, we came full circle and decided that we were happy with our lot. Okay, I would like to sell a few more books, just to keep the leeches happy, and I'd like days with no interruptions so that my muse praises my genius, rather than rants at him.

However, this is life. This is what it is all about and, my ever astute friend informs me, it has to be embraced. This is true with writing. I mean, if I hadn't had to make that trip to the doctors and hospital with dad, I would never have spent time sitting in crowded waiting rooms pondering the life stories of those fidgeting and waiting in it. You see what I'm getting at fellow writers?

Yes, everthing you see is material, inspiration. Life is full of  inspiration and nudges of ideas for us to utilise. We just have to open our eyes and minds.... and notebooks. We have to grasp them and run and, as my friend advises, whilst we're doing this we have to remember to live like a lion, not die like a mouse.