IWSG: THE FIRST DAY OF YOUR LIFE

Today is IWSG day-the first Wednesday of each month. IWSG stands for Insecure Writers Support Group and was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Our purpose is to share and encourage.  You can follow other IWSG members here or on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG. We also have a Facebook page.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Charles Dederich, a reformed alcoholic and a member of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.), was said to have coined that phrase. I like it. I say it to myself a lot. I like the idea of being able to start anew whenever I feel the need. That’s fairly often these days.

Our son was married last October 5^th. We traveled to Florida for a destination wedding.

On August 23^rd daughter walked down the aisle on her daddy’s arm and pledged life and love to her groom. And so began the first day of the rest of her life as a wife.

We’re In-laws now. God help us be a good and considerate mother in law and father in law!

Hubby and I are sharing so many new experiences in our old age:

1)      Retirement.  We actually live together day in and day out. Because of his work in the construction industry, we’ve not lived together much. That’s taking some getting used to—probably for both of us but especially for me.
 

2)      Renovation. This has been a hellacious experience that neither of us want to repeat. It began March 3^rd and it’s still happening. Need I say more?
 

3)      Church: Because I was raised Baptist, we’ve spent the first half of our marriage attending the Baptist church, but when we moved to Oklahoma, we gravitated toward Assembly of God and found a wonderful church with beautiful people. Back in Lake Charles, we chose to keep going to an AG church. It's been unusual and interesting. We should never forget that The Bible is the true word of God--no pastor, preacher, evangelist, priest or spiritual advisor. 'Nuff said.

Through all these experiences, I see the importance of starting over if the need arises. I see the importance of keeping the faith, and a positive attitude. I see the importance of truth, patience, love and loyalty, encouragement and friendships. New experiences come daily and affect our lives in one way or another. That means they affect our writing too. They stimulate new ideas to write about, or they stymie us so that we can’t write. I think it's our choice.

I have several unfinished and roughly finished manuscripts that nag at me constantly. I’ve felt like giving up out of frustration—just because I haven’t had the time or focus, and no comfortable workspace. I’m not good at grabbing time—writing a paragraph today, a page tomorrow. I like working in long, flowing hours. Right or wrong, I need to see progress in my word count.

Today, I woke up thinking, “Today is the first day of the rest of my life” and another thought popped into my head: What if it was the last day? The thought surprised me.

I want to write. I’ve always wanted to write and publish but I’ve always stood in my own way.

Today I set two specific goals. We have our annual Bayou Writers Conference on November 8^th so I will have a completed novel to pitch to the agent on that day.  I just like one or two more chapters and a few scenes to add. Dedication and focus can get it done.

My second goal is to get back to blogging. I’ve missed it. I used to blog daily but today I pledge two or three posts a week.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Want to rededicate yourself to something dear? How do you want to start over? Any goals you need to stalk? Share with us.