Time to Get Serious

There is some saying about dreams deferred, I don't remember it exactly but the point is that when you defer your dreams, when you fail to act on or pursue what you really want out of life, those dreams wither and die on the vine. I'm convinced that dead dreams are the main source of bitterness and disappointment in life, and quite frankly, I don't want to end up a bitter old man, blaming others and society at large for failing to accomplish what I wanted to in life. So it is time to get serious, to get about the business of pursuing my dreams, and to stop jerking around at the fringes, to turn ideas into action, and in my case to put pen to paper, in a manner of speaking, and to start writing.

My original intent with this blog was to use it as a mental exercise, something to get me going and to serve as an occasional workout, analogous to going to the gym. But just as going to the gym can often turn into the end in itself, so has writing in The Daily Grind. That is not to say I haven't enjoyed it, it gives me pleasure to be able to ramble on about various topics knowing that at least a handful of people that I know will read it and enjoy themselves for the brief time it takes to read most of my columns. It is a good outlet for me to have to get stuff off my chest, or out of my head, and is often therapeutic. But it is also a great way to avoid doing any of the heavy lifting that comes from really writing, and it's time for me to get after it.

I enjoy teaching high school social studies, the interaction with the kids is always enjoyable, I love their enthusiasm and their willingness to consider new information in a way that most adults are closed to. I enjoy the research that goes into preparing for class discussions and lectures, I have always loved doing research and learning new information, incorporating it into my existing knowledge and philosophy and trying to figure out creative ways to relate that information to others. That is probably one of the main skills that I have developed over the years that will contribute to my writing. But I never really set out to be a lifer, like many people I got into my profession almost by accident and just stayed with it until before you know it you've answered the question of what will you be when you grow up without even realizing it. Teaching is an honorable profession, and a valuable service to be sure, but let's face it, it isn't exactly a highly sought after skill, or an incredible challenge to accomplish, if it were the pay would be much greater than the meager wages that teachers are given. Oh sure, we like to talk up teachers, but when it comes right down to it it is not a profession that is highly valued, talk is cheap, and it sure as heck doesn't pay the bills, or at least it doesn't leave much left over after the bills have been paid. But this is about more than money, it is about fulfilling my own expectations and utilizing gifts that for whatever reason I have been blessed with.

Much like I imagine a musician has to create music, or an artist has to paint or sketch, and as an athlete has to compete, or an actor has to perform, a writer has to write. There is a fire in me that burns and and a yearning to tell my story, and the story of humankind as I understand it, and the best way I know how to do that is by writing. I may or may not succeed at making a living off of it, but I have to try, I have to pursue my dream and if I fall short it won't be for fear of failure, or on account of being too lazy or undisciplined to have gone after what I want. But if I make it, I'll know that I'm doing what I truly believe that I was meant to do, which is to create and express and enlighten and to in some small way contribute to making this world a better and more humane place to be.

So on that note, it's time to get busy. Like the song says, birds gotta fly, bees gotta buzz, and a writer's gotta write. I am not lacking for ideas or motivation, so it becomes a matter of putting pen to paper and getting after it. I will be working on the memoir I started over the summer, Ordinary Average Guy. In addition I am going to write a number of fictional short stories that I hope to get published as a prelude to getting a publisher to look seriously at my book, and with the hope of expanding some of those stories into a full length novel. I'll start with my premise of the Fab Four that I referenced in an earlier column, and also will be writing a modern day version of Death of a Salesman, creating a Willy Loman for the new century, for starters. I will be writing about what makes us human, our hopes and desires, what and who we love and why, the relationships that make life interesting and complicated. I hope to draw on my life experience, sharp observational skills, and vivid imagination to tell stories that resonate to the core of our existence as humans, our feats and failures, our greatness and our weakness, always our humanity. I also plan to write a non-fiction book, a history of the last 30 years, from 1980-2010, which is a period of time that has seen so many changes and of course is still being written as we speak. I will continue to write short columns from time to time on things that show up on my radar screen, and will post them on the Grind, but I will be spending considerable time writing, and reading, and writing some more, in addition to all of the everyday stuff of life that I enjoy so much, time with my family, with my own pursuit of happiness such as music, sports, and running, and of course my day job. I turn 38 years-old in less than two weeks, and my goal is to be a professional writer by the time I hit 40, that will make for one heck of a birthday celebration if I can pull it off, and of course all of my loyal readers are invited. So on that note, it's time to get serious.

With much love and appreciation,
Mark