Ramblings

I'm in denial that it's now September, which means summer is officially over....or will be once Labor Day passes this weekend.

This has been a crazy busy week at work and I have to admit, I'm thankful for it. I didn't realize how much stress I was under this summer worrying about filling the pages of my paper with news that, well, wasn't really news. That quote about journalism being nothing more than meeting the challenge of filling space really hit home for me over the last couple months. With the beginning of school though and an increase in fire-related stories, I've had my hands full with writing (and re-writing!) and it's been glorious. I've been coming into work these last few days with a new-found sense of alacrity.

September always reminds me of how much I miss being a student, though. I loved learning and seeing my friends every day and knowing exactly what was going to happen day after day. School is the most structured I've ever been in my life and I crave structure. Re-reading that sentence makes me wonder why I ever chose a career in writing. There's nothing about this job that can be considered structured, and yet I enjoy it....immensely.

Perhaps I will work to set up my own sense of structure. Despite being in the middle of the calendar year, I see September as being a time of new beginnings. Maybe I'll capitalize on that and begin something new.

My dad recently secured a new laptop that he is going to rehab and give to me. I always told him my excuse for not tackling my dream of writing the next great American novel is that I don't have access to a computer of my own on which to do it. Now, for all intents and purposes, he's eliminated my excuse for not settling down and writing. If I give myself just an hour each day to write, I could finish a book in no time... We'll see what happens when I take possession of said computer this weekend.

In the meantime, I've challenged myself to read as much as possible. Yesterday I went to the library and came home with three "chick lit" novels. I'm already half-way through one and I can't wait to pick up the others. One of the books I rented I've already read (twice!) but this time I won't be reading it for enjoyment; it's more of a lesson in word choice, plot lines, character development, etc. We'll see how it works out for me. Doc is leaving for a camping trip with his friends for the long weekend, so I'll have ample time to read. I can't wait... I'm such a nerd.