Writing – By Sarah

Linda’s prompt for this week’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “throw in the towel.’

I find myself with a slightly different approach to SoCS today and as I write the title of this post, I have a smile on my face (if you are at all a Simpsons fan, you will know why!)

The Simpsons: Episode 10, Season 15

‘Marge finds herself a new pastime. She writes a book and manages to get it published. But when the book becomes the talk of the town, Homer doesn’t get it – mostly because he doesn’t read it!

This episode aired the other week, and I was struck by some parallels that I find for myself when it comes to writing…

Specifically:

Writing can be hard; a relentless need to create that is squeezed around the realities of busy lives and working an equally busy job.
Writing can be lonely; the words swim around in your head, are then transferred to paper only to drift in the ether and (hopefully) find feedback from the unknown.
Writing can be mystifying to your significant other; the compulsion, the drive, and creative process – bewildering!

And this last point, is the one that resonated with me the most.

Let me explain.

My husband doesn’t “get” my writing. We recently had a rather robust conversation about WHY:

I experience the need to get up sometimes at 2am, 3am or 4am…. and write;
When I am in flow, I need to be left alone;
I need others to springboard my ideas; and
Someone reading my work, gives it life.

…added to this, is that he (mostly) doesn’t understand what I write about either.

Now, I am not saying this to be disrespectful or mean….in fact, he is the first to admit it! He has always been open and honest about these aspects of my writing.

This is what he says it’s like for him…

Watch the full scene from ‘Diatribe of a Mad Housewife’ here: https://comb.io/j1uMZb

When I put it all together, it comes down to this.

In day to day life, I see stories, poems and wonder everywhere. Whereas my husband sees reality as it is. It’s as simple as that. (And I can’t begrudge him our differences. After all, his practicality and level-headedness was one of the things that drew me to him in the first place).

So I have realised, this is why I need WordPress. This is my community of writers. This is where we do “get it” and give it back to each other and I am so grateful for that. (Please know that I am here for you too if you are struggling with your own ‘Homer’ 😆).

As for my dear husband, apart from being a good man who makes me happy, he has perhaps proven he is not “throwing in the towel” just yet…

After our heart to heart, we went out for a walk. As I hastily tied my short, bedraggled hair into a pony tail, I asked him if it looked ok.

He said, “I’m going to try and see the world the way you do”.

After a moment’s pause he continued, “Your hair is like a paintbrush that has been used too much.”

It’s honest ✅

It’s descriptive ✅

It’s figurative ✅

It’s a simile ✅

…I’ll take it!!!