Why So Serious?

(I don’t even have a picture to put at the top!)

Looking back over my recent blog posts, I realize how serious, or at least, not amusing or entertaining, my writings have been. If I look back a lot further, you know, P.P (Pre-Pandemic) I had a lot of little stories which contained nuggets of humor. And even when I wasn’t trying to be a little cheeky, I was at least writing with some depth. Now it seems my blogs are mostly lists, and how-tos and information-sharing rather than story-telling.

Maybe because I have no stories to tell….

I mean, what DO I do with my day that isn’t immensely boring, usual, or repetitive?

Stories well up from inside a soul that is inspired or at least challenged. When the soul then speaks to the mind, the words flow through the pen (or in this case, the keyboard) and a story is born. As I scour the depths of my soul for the spark of life, the embryo of a tale, I find only an empty womb.

I long to initiate, develop and grow, then birth a story. One with an actual beginning, middle, and end. With emotion and feelings, interesting characters, excitement and humor. Where’s the whimsy like in “Spatial-Relations Skills and the Challenges of Mowing,” from summers of yore. Or “Oh, Stanley,” a tribute to the 24-hours we shared with our first, and last, rooster. (You can go go back through my older posts to find those, by the way!)

Farm life easily lent itself to inspiring story-telling. With animal shenanigans, weather challenges, and experiments in gardening, there was always some source of inspiration going on. My soul and my mind were in near-constant communication. I remember days where I was mowing, probably around hour number 3, and since thoughts and word-pictures apparently best develop while the body is hunched over the steering wheel of a John Deere, I had to stop the mower, jump off and run quickly to the house to write. At that moment. It couldn’t wait, because just like a dream evaporates upon waking, so would my thoughts and stories disappear as soon as distraction or exhaustion took over.

I’ve certainly never been a fabulous writer. Probably couldn’t make a living at it, though many friends and family members have tried to tell me otherwise, but at least it was something I enjoyed. And it came easily to me. I never spent more than 30 minutes or so tapping out the mostly correct order of letters on the keyboard. The words would flow. The story would almost tell itself.

Now? I can spend hours writing, editing, re-reading, re-writing, doubting, scrunching up my face and squinting my eyes trying to force out one more blog post onto the screen. One that isn’t just another 10 steps to blah blah blah, or a recipe, or rehashing current events.

I’m not saying those are bad topics to share. This blog is more than just stories. As a Fitness and Health Coach, I WANT to share the steps, how-tos, recipes, and inspiration to lead healthier, happier lives. My struggle is that I am in desperate WANT of inspiration once again. The barren womb of my soul needs MORE. More time outside. More connection with human beings (besides just the three I currently share home with.) and God. More nature. And definitely more adventure.

I am probably experiencing a bit of the Winter Blue’s, hence my previous post regarding my excitement surrounding the Seed Catalog, but even that isn’t much of a STORY. Heck, I couldn’t even help sharing info on “phytonutrients” in that one!

Dear Reader, my hope is that my blogs won’t bore you to death!

Anyway, why so serious became Why Still Serious?! Sorry about that. I’ll continue working on this. I guess the title of my next blog post could be 10 Steps to Finding Inspiration in Life.

Step one. Get out there for some inspiration!!

Step two…and step three… ha! That’s all the humor I’ve got for you today.

Until next time, friends. Stay inspired!