Someone to sing with on the boat...

Sometimes when I read a book, there's so much great stuff in it, I have no idea how to convey the most meaningful parts of what I'm reading. Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott, is just such a book. The lessons in it are applicable to the art of writing...yes...but even more importantly, there are some profound insights for life, and how we live it.

First and foremost...good writing is honest. I certainly try to be honest, but to suggest that I'm really "putting it all out there" would be a farce, because there is much about what goes on in my head that I'm not saying. Maybe I'm leaning too heavily on the honesty of authors whose books I'm reading and quoting, but I see the process of self-disclosure as a gradual one...jumping in with both feet seems a tad extreme!

I have heard many times that reading decreases our sense of isolation...when we read another's story, whether it be fiction or non-fiction...and we relate to the person or the characters, we feel less alone. Writing can also help us to feel less alone, particularly if we choose to share what we write with an audience. The audience doesn't have to be a large one...even sharing with one other person can increase your sense of connectedness, your sense of shared experience. Here's what Anne says about it:

"When writers make us shake our heads with the exactness of their prose and their truths, and even make us laugh about ourselves or life, our buoyancy is restored. We are given a shot at dancing with, or at least clapping along with, the absurdity of life, instead of being squashed by it over and over again. It's like singing on a boat during a terrible storm at sea. You can't stop the raging storm, but singing can change the hearts and spirits of the people who are together on that ship."

This has been a challenging week for me...plumbing problems at home...anxiety about personal relationships that are fragile and volatile...both have caused me to seek comfort in food, which has always been my most dysfunctional tool for coping with life.

I needed someone to make me laugh this week...to laugh at life, and to laugh at myself. Even though I can't stop the raging storm of my circumstances, having someone to sing with has helped to change my heart and my spirit. I hope that on some days, somehow, this blog will do the same for you.