It’s been less than a week since my vacation started, and my mind tingles like it did when I was still in the Mr. Vilson phase, full of thoughts and ways I’d change my routine for that day. Little did that part of my brain know that I really wasn’t going to wake up at 530am, get in my uniform, and belt out my lesson plans that day. Still antsy from my own delusions, I got up and turned on my Mac, possibly to be productive, or maybe to knock me back asleep. I fire up GMail, Facebook, Twitter, and the website I’m working on in that order, and this manuscript that’s full of serious potential.

Just then, I see one of my friends online, someone who’s also really impressive with the essays. She considers herself a fan of my work, and often seeks me out for advice on writing and the like. While we’re going through some of my projects, I ask her when’s her book coming out. She said, “Huh?” Either she meant that as, “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” or “How did he know?” So I keep pushing the issue and she tells me she’s thinking of writing a book after all, but doesn’t have the time.

An amateur writer’s lament.

Not having the time to write is often our biggest conflict. People who write for a living notwithstanding, those with “day jobs” have a really hard time writing at the same time. Looking at my own schedule over the last few weeks, from working on school infrastructure and designing professional development to working on others’ websites and collaborating with artists, I haven’t paid as much attention as I’d like to my simple pleasures, like this blog. Even with more people reading my jots, I haven’t been able to do as much writing as I’d like.

So, when asked by this writer what my best advice for her was, “Write like hell. And just keep writing.” I added, “Maybe I need to follow my own advice. You’ll notice that when I stop writing, it gets really sluggish, but when I write a lot, I don’t stop.” She nodded. I then looked at this manuscript, the one that every writer seems to be working on eternally, and decided I’d at least finish a piece of it.

After that, I went right back to sleep. My revelation was just enough to put me back to rest …

Jose, who doesn’t like mentioning names because it’s about the idea, not the person … (but thank you) …