Even in Paradise it's lonely!

We look forward to summers, when the rains stop and visitors make their way to us.  They marvel at the vistas, the cool summer temperatures, the isolation, the tranquillity.

We tell them that without their visit, this place is lonely.
They can't imagine that.

Yes, we say, there is just so much Paradise one can enjoy. Company is what we need. Please, return, stay as long as you can.  Tell us about the world we left behind.

This week, my youngest son is up with us, with his pup and his girlfriend.  The house is now filled with sound and movement and activities.  The pup, a lab, loves to swim in the lake, loves to chase birds in the garden.

Each guest/visitor brings a new vibe, a new rhythm, a new note to the symphony.  Some visitors, actually compose new music while up here; or paint a new picture; or write a new story.  This place inspires.

But, without company, it is empty.

The writer's life

In our writing group, two men and a dozen women who tend to come and go, we appreciate each other's efforts and recognize that any time, any minute, the maladies that afflict one will afflict us all, maladies as self-doubt and lack of inspiration. These are the dreaded ones.

They are virus, actually, surfacing now and then and blooming for weeks and months and even years. We know what we must do and remind each other to continue to write, and continue to believe in our own unique way of expressing experiences and beliefs.

Just as it happened in kindergarten when we loved all the new things around us, the letters, the words, the foods, the tactile experience of sharing close space with strangers, and we looked forward to the pleasures explored in that room, so it can be again, each time we write, each time we share with appreciative friends and helpful supporters.



Then, self-doubt will remain a dormant virus and writing will continue to be joyous.