bird by bird

jimmy's orchids

I didn't sleep last night and though my to-do list is a mile long, once I got Isabella down for her nap just now, I just couldn't motivate myself to get any work done. Today, I am feeling completely drained. So while Isabella sleeps soundly in the other room, I ignored my list, curled up on the couch and started to read Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. For the life of me I can't figure out why this hasn't been on my shelf for years already, but Amazon just sent it my way today.

I was only on page two of the introduction when I read this passage about her path to becoming a writer and something about it struck a serious chord within as it reminds me of me as a child: "I suspect that he was a child who thought differently than his peers, who may have had serious conversations with grown ups, who as a young person, like me, accepted being alone quite a lot. I think that this sort of person often becomes either a writer or a career criminal. Throughout my childhood I believed that what I thought about was different from what other kids thought about. It was not necessarily more profound, but there was a struggle going on inside me to find some sort of creative or spiritual or aesthetic way of seeing the world and organizing it in my head."

Some days we feel completely lost on our journeys, completely dialed in to KFKD. Today, in this moment, through the mirroring words of Anne Lamott, I feel as if I have been found. Once again, thank you Anne Lamott.

Comments

[darlene]

:-) oh my gosh! yes!! thank you for sharing this, xo

[Nina]

i looooove the book bird by bird :)

[melissa]

thank you for sharing!! that was me as a child. and my dream is to become a writer.

[Daphne]

I have a huge crush on Annie.

[Marianne]

Isn't it a lovely moment - when we find that in through our isolation, despite our uniqueness and solitary paths we can find communion. I'm so glad Anne spoke to you today. It is a great book. I love it and always think of her brother writing his report 'bird by bird' when I am paralysed by the next chapter, the next article, the next mountain to climb. xxx

[christine]

God bless Anne Lamott. She is one of my faves.

[Junie]

This book sounds amazing and the passage you shared struck a cord with me. BTW I so love your jewelry, it's on my wish list and I'm saving up to do some shopping. I may have to visit amazon and check out the book.
-Junie (studiopink) (unravelling friend)

[jenica]

i didn't realize someone had written my biography. how nice of her. ;-D

[rivergardenstudio]

Beautiful post. I need to read that book! roxanne