Stone Cherub on Gerloczy Hotel, Budapest, Hungary

Here’s the thing about writing. Or more correctly, about writing and me in particular.

I sometimes have to come at it sideways.  Like today.

Today I tricked my Gemini self. I set my computer up in a coffee shop with no internet access. I’m sure I could have found some connection but I didn’t really try. I just told myself, “Oh look. No internet.”

And then I told myself, all I needed to do was to open one chapter, just open it up and start reading. “Just review,”  I said to me.

But I know myself, even when I’m in the middle of tricking said self.

I know that I will inevitably start to edit, change the odd word, fill in a gap, and the next thing you know, I’m off and running. I’m writing and adding and editing and one and a half hours zoom by and now I have to make myself leave it alone and go get some groceries.  This makes me happy.  This makes me believe I can do it again tomorrow and the next day.

And some of these next few days, I might not even have to use these tricks. But I’ll resort to them if I have to. I’m not asking for the moon here…just a few sentences to be tapped into their proper places.

And so tonight, I will sleep the deep sleep of someone who has conquered her corner of the world. This is a good thing.