Anne Lamott, on page 18 of Bird by Bird, says "So after I've completely exhausted myself thinking about the people I most resent in the world, and my more arresting financial problems,and, of course, the orthodontia, I remember to pick up the one-inch picture frame and to figure out a one-inch piece of my story to tell, one small scene, one memory, one exchange."
Ms. Lamott, of course, is speaking of me. Homework, writing, reports for work, honestly even Christmas thank-you's; they all paralyze me to differing extents. For example I have been worrying this ELP assignment for two weeks now; tried to start it early and spend three hours on a shallow description of the little girl. At this moment the only thing moving my blog forward is the painful knowledge that when it is done I must turn back to the giant assignment from hell.
Thinking of all the people I most resent; well there's an hour. Considering tracking down flu shots (both swine and regular, thank-you) worrying about those orthodontic bills and the noise in the 17 year old Jeep... These are all the things that keep me from spreading out my papers and getting to work.
So bird by bird. Bite by bite, one-inch picture frame at a time. The thing is that I have tried that before and it has had mild success. But it's not the last minute up all night freaking out me that I have come to know and trust. She makes me crazy, but inevitably she gets it done in the nick of time.
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