Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Aimlessly Driving Around in the Dark

Last night I took Daughter out for an hour of the 'night driving' she has to complete to get her drivers license.  Usually I give her directions on the path to take because I know what skills I want her to glean out of each driving session.  Since last night the only skill she needed to learn was how to drive in the dark, I gave her the keys and said "Go where you want to go - but stay in the city limits".

It's kinda like writing.  We all have the skills to head off into the night.  We all know the basic parameters of our journey.  Sometimes we have a destination in mind, and sometimes we're aimlessly driving around in the dark.  On occasion, we pick up new skills along the way and every once in a while, the aimless driving is simply practice for the real test.

Some days this whole business of writing and querying feels like aimless driving - destination in mind or not.  Sometimes I know where I want to go and have no idea how to get there.  Other times, I'm sure I'm on the right road only to stall or crash or get sideswiped by some other driver.

But I'm still driving ahead.  Regardless of the potholes and road construction.  Regardless of how jammed the highway may be.  I'm driving ahead and hoping that maybe someday I'll get where I'm going.  Until then I just need to sit tight and enjoy the journey.

7 comments:

  1. I always love your writing analogies, B.E. - they're so spot on!! And this one speaks to me today as I 'start over'. Must remember to enjoy the ride :)

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  2. It's like what Dory said in Finding Nemo. "Just keep swimming..."
    Or rather, "Just keep driving..."

    I'll see you on the freeway and we can wave to each other.
    :)

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  3. Thanks, Janet. Yeah, some days it's easier to remember to enjoy the ride than others. I'm just trying to motor along and keep a positive attitude.

    I love that movie, Lydia, and I love Dory. :waves: See ya on the open road to representation and publication. ;o)

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  4. Awesome analogy!! Too true also. Wow. How true that is. Hope the daughter passes all her driving tests and what not!! (man I wish this state were that thorough with driving...seems like they just hand any old monkey a license here...)

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  5. Thanks, Colene, and thanks for sending hope the kid's way. I'm sure she'll do fine. We just need to get those 10 night hrs in and she can take her test.

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  6. Your attitude is perfect. You just need to enjoy the ride.

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  7. I'm aimlessly driving right now. The words fly by, but I have yet to feel the need to stop the car and catch them. :P

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