Half Year — Check Yer Goals
The calendar says we’re now in the second half of 2019. Really, time? Is that how you’re going to play it? Very well then, let’s reflect. But first…
I Have A Four Year Old
My only daughter was born on the cusp of the half year mark, four years ago. I’m not one who generally obsesses over numbers and/or dates, but I have become infatuated with this one. Maybe it’s because she’s my first born. I probably would have found it easy to adore any date she came into the world. But the halfway mark (10:10 p.m. on June 30, pretty dang close!) is, I hope, something that will someday have meaning for her. Not that I know what that might be. Maybe she’ll be more aware of the year’s first six months and try to improve on the next six. That would be special. When do people start reflecting on their lives? In their early to mid-30s? Well, she’s got a long way to go to get there.
On Saturday, we had her birthday party at “the rides” on the boardwalk. When they are this young, they just go. There’s no mortal reason to stop and think about anything other than what is immediately in front of them. As adults, somewhere along the way we turn into neurotic planners scrutinizing every detail of the weeks and months ahead. Of course, by sticking to our rigidity, we allow the kids to run wild within our carefully constructed parameters. Without us, you’d be animals! Feral and naked in the woods, eating tree bark and singing adorable, off key renditions of Baby Shark.
(I assume that even in the Lordiest of Flies scenarios, you will still have your precious Baby Shark. That tune is literally indestructible. You could toss Pink Fong in an active volcano and he’d do a little backstroke, pop out with a bitchin’ tan, and preach to everyone within earshot that they need to swim faster. But I digress.)
We, those who somehow make things happen in this world, need to look ahead to facilitate what’s coming. As we do this, we also need to look back to recognize our mistakes and achievements of the past and ignore all that noise anyway and thrust forward toward the new. We dig and chomp and thrive on our grandiose expectations.
Set A Goal Or Twelve
Since numbers are meaningless and dates cheap facsimiles of zilch, there is no time like the present to state to yourself or on the record somewhere, your goals for the remainder of 2019. This isn’t bloody New Years, friends. So put down the champagne and toast your diet ginger ale to the next you. The next you is something special. It can be anything you want it to be. For me, I’d just like to be a better Daddy and hubbaloo and maybe put out another book before the year is through.
Those first two goals seem achievable. The latter may be pressing it. There is so much involved in getting to the point where one can be comfortable in publishing. But I think I’ve learned enough from Marcus to have at least a little confidence in my next endeavor. And if anyone is keeping score at home, it is in the works. Several actually and I may have just decided this weekend which one to put all my eggs into first. So that’s a bit of juicy, stressful, goat herding fun!
Goat herding?
All right. Maybe not goat herding. Although now that you mention it, that could be a cool segment for the novel.
How the heck are ya gonna fit that one in?
Oh, I don’t know. I’ll just have to put my trust in the glorious nature of writing.
Look Back, Old Man
Forswear thy foolish ways! You’re damn right I was in Godspell! That was ages ago though and neither here nor there. Also, the song title is Turn Back, Old Man not Look Back. But “turn back” doesn’t encompass the point of this section of bloggy. Come to think of it, it might be Turn Back, Oh Man. Can we get someone in here to do a Goggle search please?
Hey writer, yeah you. Or if you’re not a writer, this can apply to you too, maybe. Someone very famous or made-up once said, “You cannot see what’s ahead until you look back.” Yup. No one ever said that. It’s stupid. You can always look both ways. Why not? We have the capability to multitask thought! Anyway… for the purposes of this half-year exercise, just believe it. You gotta look back first. OK? Gawd, why do you have to be so combative?
How was the first six months of your 2019? Good? I hope so. Mine was pretty solid. I feel like I got a LOT of writing done and yet, at the same time, none at all. And you know why? It’s partially due to the nature of this bloggy and partly to the nature of marketing my book. It’s all words. Words all over the place doing some job or other. But in seeing those past six months for what they were, I could have written more. I could always write more. So could you, fellow writer. If, in fact, you are a writer. Make more time to do the hard work. Get butt in chair and type. I’ll try to do it too. How hard could it be, really? We’re doing what we love, right? So let’s go!
Where’s the tappity tap tap?
Well, maybe you’re not ready just now. Maybe I’m not either. I seem to be procrastinating hard, just trying to hit the thousand word mark on this bloggy again. It’s a good warm-up, you know. If you don’t have a blog because that is so 20 years ago, I totally understand. But to hell with what anyone else thinks. After blasting through this one in particular, my fingers are ready and rarin’ to go at something that actually might be worthwhile.
Sorry, I hope you weren’t looking for good advice in here. Well no, there was some. Let’s recap:
1) Have babies. They get older and have cool personalities and birthdays and you get to eat a lot of cake.
2) It’s July 1st. That doesn’t mean much but it does mean that half the year has passed. Look back. What have you accomplished? Was it good enough for you? If not, do more.
3) Godspell rules. Baby Shark drools.
