By Terri Benson
I’ve been reading blogs and articles, seeing TV advertisements, and generally being inundated by the need for New Year’s resolutions. Lose weight. Go back to school. Start a new job. Everyone must strive to be better. Because clearly, I’m not as good as I should be, according to “them.”
Well, I’ve had it with “them.” I’m not going to resolve to do anything. What I am going to do, is start my own little revolution.
Instead of doing what others tell me to do, I’m going to fight against the tide. I don’t need a new and better me. I’m OK as I am. I’m happy. I’m healthy. At my age, I’m pretty much done with going to school. I will never be Cindy Crawford no matter how much weight I lose—and my husband loves me anyway. As far as a new job—the one I have will do just fine, unless or until I find one that makes me happier. I don’t need to have a new career.
I don’t need to learn all the new technology; to Tweet, Blog, FaceBook and Pinterest on a daily basis. I don’t have to read every blog, Tweet or post that shows up on my social media. I don’t have to accept every LinkedIn request.
My revolution also encompasses my writing. Because while I’m not going to go back to school, I want to learn to write better. But I don’t need to resolve to do that, because writing is as much a part of me as breathing and I’ll never get enough of reading good words, and working to put good words on paper. I don’t need someone to tell me to write “X” number of words a day. I just need to write when, and what, makes me happy. Writers, like alcoholics trying to quit, can’t be made to write by anyone but ourselves.
So the revolution I propose, and you’re welcome to join me, is a “Let’s just be happy and healthy, and remember that we’re writers because we want to be, not let anyone tell us there’s only one way to do it” revolution.
My banner will be a ripped-off cover of Strunk and White, because rules are made to be broken. And I will decide if and when I’ll submit my work, if I’m ready to market it up one side and down the other, and most of all, I’ll decide if I need to envy great writers or be devastated if I don’t get “the call.” Because being happy is really all that’s important.
Are you with me?
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As a life-long writer, Terri Benson has one published novel, award winning short stories, and over a hundred articles – many award winning – in local and regional magazines and on-line e-zines. She is a multi-year member of RMFW and Western Slope events are hosted by her employer; she also belongs to RWA. Benson currently promotes Western Slope events for the RMFW Publicity Committee, pelts RMFW with articles for the newsletter, and randomly blogs.
Her historic romance, An Unsinkable Love, a truly Titanic love story, is available from Amazon.
THANK YOU! While I did set my writing and editing goals, as I do every year, my resolutions this year are more anti-resolutions. If anything, 2015 is all about being selfish for me.
I wish to be part of this revolution. Thank you, Terri!