“Solitude is as needful for the imagination as society is wholesome for the character.”
- James Russell Lowell
So I step into the “Love Mug” to have a frappe with a writer friend, and instead of the records playing (yes, records…as in LPs, platters, those big flat-round-black discs that were played in the 20th century), the barista is singing and playing the ukulele and her sister is singing harmony. Very nice, especially since they have a good sound. Nothing like live music in a coffee shop while conversing with a friend; and in a small town in Southeast Colorado to boot! Hold that thought…I’ve got to sing along!
This is just one of the joys of rural living; good friends (expected), good coffee, and unexpected entertainment. As my friends mentioned in the earlier blogs (which made me scramble to think of a different approach) we have the fusion of quietude and busyness that makes for a great life. We scramble with deadlines and family, we yearn for peace on our most hectic days - then long for interruption when it’s too silent. We explore the mixed bag of life, just like any other writer, and have the world at our fingertips. On the internet we can educate ourselves and network with other writers; we search out markets and agents, then send our queries and manuscripts. At our desks we create new worlds, or explore the past of our ancestors. We live in the minds of our characters and our fingers follow them through their stories. Outside of our walls, we go into the world to feel the weather on our skin, to interact with others, or just “people watch” and absorb the local flavor - just like any other writer. But in many ways we have so much more. Instead of the smog and rush of the city, we have the freedom of wide blue skies, soaring hawks, quiet lakes and walks along the river. For us, we have the best mix of solitude and friends.
Jerolyn Lockhart
You put it all together well.
ReplyDeletePat