I’ve never been one to keep a daily journal. I wish I would have done that, though. I would love to go back and read my thoughts from my college years, those early years of my marriage. For sure I’d look up the day I learned I was pregnant with our first son. I know I was excited. But how did we celebrate? Who did we tell first? Those are things I don’t recall.
I don’t know if I would be as anxious to read the entries during the early 1980s when I was so deeply in debt, running from creditors and basically doing all I could to ruin my life. I know I would want to check out that day in March 1993 when I got the call from “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” I’m sure that page would have all kinds of graphics and little squiggles indicating how surprised and thrilled I was to be asked to come to Chicago to be on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
It would be fun, even encouraging to look back and remember the good days, but also to recount how I got through the difficult times.
No, I don’t have a journal to consult, but I do have a blog (EverydayCheapskate.com). I’d never thought of it as a personal journal, until recently when I found the following in the archive.
I’ve had it. I’m out of words, clever phrases. I’m even running low on answers.
For more than 15 years I’ve written a syndicated daily. There are 260 weekdays in a year, minimum 500 words a day. That’s roughly 1,950,000 words.
Over more than 30 years I’ve cranked out 356 issues of the various monthly now daily newsletters. That looks like north of 5,000,000 words.
I have 26 published books averaging 50,000 words each. That’s good for another 1,300,000 words.
Do you understand my situation here? I’m fresh out of words! I think I’ve said them all, written them all at least a couple of times and now I think I’ve run dry. Tapped out.
I’m going to post a sign on my forehead that reads: ‘Services have been temporarily disrupted. We regret any inconvenience this may cause. We are hopeful that services will be restored soon.’
Then I’m going to have a button installed on the inside of my eyelids … one that says simply: Refresh.
Maybe that will clear my cache, defrag my hard drive and get me back on the road.
In the meantime, I’m going to take a nap.
Well, I did take a nap, and a good, long one at that. And when I awoke, I was greeted by several responses. Some were long and pleading, others short and punchy. Basically, it all boiled down to this: “Please, don’t stop!” followed by many warm messages of encouragement.
I’m not sure if it was the much-needed sleep or the lovely letters of thanks and encouragement, but my whole outlook changed. I was renewed and refreshed. And confident that maybe there are still a few more words left in me to be written.