I’m a famous quitter. Ask my family. They’ll tell you about all my big plans. If I had done half the things I planned to do, just in the last five years alone, I’d be a goat farmer, a maker of organic goat cheese, an organic poultry farmer, a volunteer EMT, an importer of Irish Sport Horses, a best-selling novelist, a campaigner for immigrant rights, a Labradoodle breeder, a teacher of English as a second language, a daily trampoline jumper, daily tread-mill jogger and the host of my own talk show. Each of these grand plans was presented to my husband, children, and whoever else would listen, with the same degree of gushing exhilaration as the next, and there was a time when they, too, would get whipped into a lather of excitement over each idea. But no longer. Over the years, my family has learned that there’s no point in preparing the backyard for goats or fantasizing over puppies and sport horses because once I begin to process the actual details of each thing, it always seems easier to just hold-off.
“Really?” my daughter now yawns, “An EMT? Good luck with that.”
“Sure,” my husband will mumble vacantly, staring at the TV, “goats are nice. Why don’t you get started on that?”
There’s no need to go into it further with me because they know that as soon as I begin to uncover the minutiae about goat stink, or nightly EMT training sessions, the whole thing will be pushed to the back burner.
So, when I told them that I was starting a blog to go on my new website, a website created to help promote my forthcoming novel, Outtakes from a Marriage, they had a good laugh at my expense. Even a friend with her own blog urged me to be realistic about it. “Everyone plans to blog daily, but sometimes it’s hard to keep up. You really have to commit to it,” she said.
“I’m committed!” I declared, and who wouldn’t be committed to the rosy future I envisioned for my fledgling blog. When I thought about my blog, I could see it, fully formed, a computer screen filled with thousands upon thousands of my very own witty observations and poignant reminiscences. I imagined people quoting my blog, stealing all my funny material from my blog, gathering around the office water cooler to talk about my latest blog. There would be controversies over my blog. When my audience grew, there would be advertisers, book deals. And of course, my own talk show…
That was a month ago. Every day since then I have not started my blog. Because, again, when I took a good hard look at the details – the logistics of blogging, I started to become a little more realistic about the whole thing, and honestly, my prospects as a successful blogger look bleak. First of all, in order to have a blog entry each day, one must write each day. Although I think constantly about writing, the truth is that I often don’t write at all, for days on end. Now, not only will I not be writing my new novel while I’m parked at Marty’s the local coffee shop, swilling coffee and gossiping with my neighbors, but I’ll also not be writing in my blog. Well, I’m going to give it a shot anyway. I will write in my blog each day, even if it’s just a sentence. Then, when people ask that intensely annoying question – “Have you been writing?” I can, for once, say yes without lying.
So, welcome to my blog, which I have decided to call, “Wicked Good Life.”
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Ann – I read this and realized we could have been separated at birth. I think it’s great. It means you have an active mind and there is nothing wrong with that. I went through some career counseling and there is a name for it…Ideaphoria. Enjoy it. I do and some day if I don’t get overhelmed by the details of my next greatest idea or project…I might even change the world in some small way!
my daughter is 7 and already laughs at me about these same things. bravo to you for keeping this blog going, and (seemingly) getting so much out of it yourself.
salutations!!
Laura
Salem, MA
So funny to read about your BIG PLANS!! That is me !!! I am always coming up with fantastic ideas but can never actually get them off the ground, no matter how many countless hours of thinking about every detail and planning. I have gotten to the point where I don’t even discuss it with anyone out of shame and ambarrassment!! well I am not alone!
I don’t know if you ever look back but here I am and here you are almost 1 year later you seem to have done it and honestly you have opened so many eyes ears and hearts keep up the good work i love it and so does my whole family, i do nto have a water cooler at work but i do chat about you and your entries at the picnic table over a very cold smoke at 2am as i work midnights at a CNC machine shop so you have done something you told al you were going to you are something to alot of folks, i trully look forward to it and would not want it to stop you even have me commited to something koodos cheryl
This is the first blog I have ever read.
Good luck with it and the book. Will check in on a regular basis. Continued success to you, Denis and the chldren.
Love, Uncle Bob
Just the mention of your name makes me laugh, you are so funny. And the only American I know who does not think self-deprecation is a shameful character flaw. Go girl.
Nearly fell out of my chair this am Ann- reading your blog.
Bravo!!- for actually launching your blog-mine remains a half constructed, restricted ‘for my eyes only’ very cool gastronomic adventure that I really plan to get to when the business of the moment -The family/marriage piece, the school re-visits, running the restaurants, the messier part is in some sense of cosmic order.
Congrats Ann-
You have given hope and inspiration to all of us
-’works in progress’ sounds so much better than ‘pipe dreams’
Hope we are on for the summer on the sandbar!!
My life remains with many of my projects-’in development’…
Much Love-Angela
If you go to my blog, you will see that quite a bit of time has passed since I wrote on it. Way back, I really enjoyed waxing philosophical on it and strangers, even when I wrote so infrequently, still wrote to me telling me how much they enjoyed my writing, recipes and observations.
But frankly, I can barely think of enough to say on an evening out with my family. What could I possibly have to say on a blog? But that’s what makes blogging, or what I like to call ‘talking to yourself’ so satisfying. You can sit back and admire how brilliant you are, until someone comments and tells you to get a life.
Maybe this is the inspiration I need to get back to it, but boy oh boy, your first entry rang so familiar. I knew there was a reason we always found it easy to pick up where we last left off. It also makes me miss seeing you, but for now, perhaps this will be a good substitute.
At the very least, I can applaud your effort to stick to it and ‘web pat’ you on the back if you miss a day, or two, or ten.
Great start, Ann! Even though I read the blog, I somehow overlooked the fact that what I was reading was the one and only entry in existence. I kept hitting buttons to see other entries. Anyway, keep it up. I promise I will read and quote and steal from it.
Fantastic web site! And your blog is terrific, really fun, and does tell the truth about blogging. My last entry was a month ago!
In any event, love the sight, loved the first book and am eagerly awaiting the new one! Anyone who hasn’t read An Innocent, A Broad, should pick it up ASAP, funny, warm, and poignant!
Oh, and about the blog. If you just add pictures and caption them like you do in your biography, I would check in everyday. Just for the laugh. Swimmies! Perfect!!
Congratulations! Keep up the good work. (and if you do ever start the goat farm, let me know, I am always on the lookout for a good strong chevre every now and then!)
Ann,
Loved your blog. I can definitely relate. Keep up the great blogging. Can’t wait to check back to read your next blog.