Steering a Steady Course in a Straight Line Is an Ominous task
It just goes to show you; there’s always something.
Shaunta Grimes and Shannon Ashley have spoken.
If I want to be a successful writer, I must: 1/ write and post every day, and 2/ get subscribers to grow that invaluable e-mail list. There are several steps involved in the latter, but I’m slugging along because I know they are right.
Hell, look at their success.
The best way to get from A to Z? Just do it. Don’t waver. Don’t stop.
Trust in the process, and don’t give up.
It’s true. The shortest distance between any two points is a straight line. But it’s difficult to walk the straight and narrow and stay on the path when the destination seems so far away, and you feel like you’re getting slammed on both sides.
It reminds me of my father, giving me driving lessons.
Dad was not only impatient as hell, but he was also a retired Naval Commander who drove through Boston like he was still navigating his destroyer through the Pacific Ocean.
And I was part of the crew. Commands were to be followed, not questioned.
He insisted that the person driving toward me was entitled to the full use of his/her/their lane, and I was to get as close as possible to the parked cars to give them room.
Ouch!
People in Boston park as crazy as they drive. Some are against the curb while others take the full six inches allowed by law — no straight line.
But that didn’t phase dad.
The idea was to pick the car sticking out the furthest and draw a ‘fall line’ and,
“Steer a steady course!”
So you’d envision that straight line, inch closer and sigh with relief when you cleared a row of parked cars without a collision.
And that’s kind of where I am now.
It’s getting tough, the numbers (claps/views) aren’t there. There’s a new follower, but they didn’t read anything. Or they read something and didn’t clap, didn’t highlight.
Did my article suck? Oh, my ego be still. I feel like obstacles are sticking out from everywhere, and there’s no end in sight.
Should I quit? What’s a writer to do?
I’ll tell you.
“Steer a steady course.”
What would have happened to Oprah Winfrey if she’d given up after being demoted as co-anchor on one of her first jobs?
Or to Malcolm X if he didn’t rise above the lowly status of ex-con?
Or to Arthea Franklin as a single teenage mother?
The world is a better place because of them.
So I’ll keep going.
If I stop where I am now, I’ll never reach my goal. I’ll never know what could have been.
The obstacles are where the crossroads form, and they’re supposed to be hard. It’s called learning. And if it weren’t for conflict, I wouldn’t have much to write about.
I’ve picked my path. I want to be a writer. It’s up to me to follow it, not give up.
I have my reason. I want to leave this hour-long commute and 9:00–5:00 crap in the past.
To give up now would be another missed opportunity. I missed the chance to be a writer when I was younger to spite my mother. She said I could, so I refused. And I am not going to do that again.
It’s time to walk the line and open those closed doors.
And someday I’ll not only sigh with relief; I’ll jump for joy.
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