Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Light at the End of the Tunnel

In a few weeks, we’ll be moving from Oklahoma and returning to Louisiana.  I’m trying to finish a requested manuscript to submit to Harlequin’s Love Inspired line before we pull out of here. Once we get home, there will be many distractions until we “settle in” and get into the Louisiana mindset.

I’m looking forward to being back, even though Oklahoma has been a great adventure. We’ve made a lot of friends, found a wonderful church and I’ll miss meeting my friend Janie at the Mustang Library several times a month for a writing day.

Every move we’ve made, I’ve faced readjustment and a new writing schedule. I know that my writing always suffers until I acclimate. This time could be a little different: hubby is going to retire and I’m facing permanence.
We often say, “Nothing lasts forever” or “This, too, shall pass” or “There’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”  That’s the thing—there’s always been a light at the end of the tunnel for us if we didn’t like a place.

The word permanence makes me uneasy. Same 0’ same 0’ scares me. A routine life sounds both appealing and boring. Okay, we’re facing another adventure, but will we like it?
Do you have any tips? Share a writing schedule with me.  If you were/are retired and wake up in the same place every day with no demands made on your life, what would you do?

6 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

Routine sounds wonderful to me. AS long as the routine is pleasant anyway. I love establishing my summer routine, and when I do I can write far more than at other times.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

They are certainly two different mindsets.

No demands. It's been so long since I knew what that felt like. Although I've lacked a routine for years, so I'm okay with that.

Unknown said...

Jess, my husband is also retiring next month. I've decided you and I need to meet several times a month at Central Library to write. You have no vote in the matter. :)

Jessica Ferguson said...

Charles - three cheers for ROUTINE!

Diane - You're organized, aren't you? :)

Jan - GREAT! I'm game.

Linda Todd said...

Routine? What routine? I seem to wake up in a new world every morning. I've been retired since 2006 and I never seem to have enough time. I try to set up a schedule: Go to library and write for a couple of hours three times a week. Send out stories every Friday. Do one blog post a week. Ha. Right now I'm fighting with Lowe's about a bunch of 3 inch screws for fence posts. I've got a 13 and a half foot church pew on my porch I'm trying to get rid of so I can have the porch screened in. This morning I'm going to Stellar Beans for a critique. This seems to be the only commitment I'm able to keep every week. However, I love retirement because if I just want to sleep late I can. Anyway, Jess, welcome back. Can't wait to see you.

Unknown said...

Retirement seems like the perfect time to set a flexible routine. One that ebbs and flows just like your days probably do. Maybe you decide how many hours you are going to write each week and be dedicated to fitting that in over the course of your week.