What Keeps Me Going...

With days passing by so fast, my writer's block keep occurring more often. I'd be clueless on what to write about for my column and on every Sunday night, I switch on my laptop and place my fingers on the keyboard, waiting for some miracle to happen and hit me with ideas.

Last night, while my Dad and I were cutting and pasting his own articles and placing them in a portfolio, this mini conversation happened:

Dad: What day is it tomorrow? Saturday?
Me: No, it's Sunday.
Dad: Okay.
Me: Why?
Dad: You haven't written your article yet.

I should have known, one way or the other, that he'd bring it up even though I had repeatedly asked him not to.

While I was browsing through his articles that dated back to 2003, I'd noticed how, over the years, the papers have turned to yellow-ish brown. He'd had 2 pages full of his coverage on a specific event and I had asked him if he really did all of that in one day. He'd said yes: He'd attend an event at night and would come back home, note down the details, even if it meant staying up till mid-morning, because, he said, he is supposed to turn it in by the morning.

I wondered if I'd be capable of doing that when I'm reluctantly writing for my column before the day of submission it self. Dad showed me his column; it was full of interesting articles and plots, rich in meaning and vocabulary and I wondered if I could ever live up to his achievements.

If Dad, I decided, wasn't pressing me in about sitting down to write up something for my column over the past few months, I know for a fact that I'd become careless by the day and forget all about it. Keeping the fact of having asked him that it truly bugs me aside, I am happy to realize that this is exactly what keeps me going: Him.

6 comments:

Sythe said...

writers block is a plague that affects me too. I think the fun goes out of writing a little bit if you're doing it for some other reason that yourself. EG, writing a column for a paper or magazine or whatever.

Don't forget your Dad appears to be (or had been) a full time journalist, so his commitment to write articles was fed, in part, by his desire to receive a pay-check which he may have been very dependant upon.

I find I get inspiration for blog's by socialising mostly, if that helps.

Good luck with your column for today!

Maryam said...

It started out with the reason of having MY articles published and at the same time, doing what I love to do and that is writing. But I guess it changed when I knew I'm obliged to do it.

Thanks :)

Salima Al Masrouri said...

That was so cute :)
الله يخليكم لبعض

Rumaitha said...

^^
Ameen

What Sythe said is absolutely true. Try relaxing and sleep, that's what I do in hopes that the next day I'd know what to write. Always have a couple of articles at standby where if you experience something like that you'd need not to worry much.

Good luck with your column ;)

Unknown said...

Isn't that a sweet blog? ^^!
Allah y5aleekum lba3'9 =)!

DonBlanK said...

So sweet :')
Try getting some rest, take some time out to get all of your thoughts together
I hope everything works out for you
-Serpent.