Distractions? Or Something Better?

         The next few weeks we will be talking about distractions. What distracts you from your writing?

         I have several ideas for points I want to make or ideas I want to explore, but I’ve been too distracted. Really. I want to explore and discover if the things we call distractions are true distractions or creative procrastination and is there really a difference. I want to talk about how a good routine or habit can transform itself into a distraction. I have words to write about keeping a balance and struggling to find time to write and how that struggle keeps us alive, improves our writing and our lives.

         I have struggled all this week, though, to find the time to write and then to actually put words into a document. Life has been full of distractions. Like preparing to move my daughter across the country. Or visiting with my Army son home for the long weekend. Or even my other writing. I spent most of what little writing time I carved out of my schedule preparing an entry for a contest/scholarship. I finally sent it off, barely making the deadline, on Friday.

         So on the one hand, I want to berate myself for failing to write as often or as much as normal. On the other hand, I feel really pumped about the quality time I’ve spent with my family. And, for once, I’m organized and prepared for this cross-country drive. My bags are (mostly) packed. I have books to read and CDs to listen to and writing projects to finish.

         Life happens. When everything is over, what matters most to me is that I spent time with my family. I love my writing. I need to write to stay sane. To write is to live and breathe. I don’t ever want to give up writing. But the people I love are even more important to me. I want to amuse, entertain and impress them with what I write, but I never want to neglect them in order to write.

         The difficulty comes in how to distinguish neglect from emotionally healthy separation. When is it all right to ignore them and when do I drop everything and listen? I think I’ve done a pretty good job this week, even if the end result is a blog post done ten minutes before the posting deadline.

         What about you? Are your distractions legitimate or frivolous? Necessary or not? Good or bad or somewhere in between? Tell us about it.