Dear Reader,

I’m excited to see you!  You, reading this post right now . . . thank you.  I really am excited to see you.  Today marks the first day of the Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Story Challenge 2020.  As I write this, I’m noticing a wide range of emotions bubbling up from inside me.  First, I sense pangs of trepidation– what if I can’t think of something to write about? What if no one reads my blog? Many of us likely experience such fears, yes? But across the years participating in this challenge, I’ve come to believe this:

Trust the Process.

Writers need a routine.  And that’s not just young writers; I happen to believe ALL writers need a routine.  The routine becomes a friend we can trust.  The routine grows to be one thing we can really rely on when things become difficult.  For me, the routine becomes my process.  Do I always produce great writing out of my routine?

No.

But that’s not the point.  The point is to write.  The point is to be a contributing member of a community.  The point is to grow.

As I pause here, I am noticing something else . . . another emotion? Anticipation. Hmm, yes.  Which, well, feels like a shade of happiness.  The joy of writing slices, reading feedback, enjoying others’ writing, sharing feedback . . . I so look forward to all of these phenomenon knitting themselves together into a larger tapestry of community.

And so, Welcome!  Thanks again for being here.  I’m not sure what the days of March will hold. I suppose none of us do. But I’m reminded of a wonderful Shel Silverstein poem:

Invitation
If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer. . .
If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin,
Come in!
Come in!
- Shel Silverstein

from Where the Sidewalk Ends, copyright 1974