Keep the River Flowing

“Some say love, it is a river…..”

Note from Pam — June 14, 2017 — I was happy to see the following post pop up in my Facebook memories from four years ago. This chunk echoes for me:

I’m not happy with my writing right now, but I’m still doing it. I’m not happy with my pace, but I’m at it. I’m not happy that this is such a hard section to slog through, but I’m doing it, because if I don’t, this story will never be read. This is my work to do — to share this story that I love, these characters that I love, hoping that others might love them too. I am the author of this story, no one else.

Change the word story to life in the last sentence and see what it does for you:

I am the author of this life, no one else.

Ultimately, this post is another cry out to myself to persevere. Quitters don’t finish things. Period. What do you need to keep plugging away at? The original post follows.

Pam Parker

Jun 14, 2013

Roses and Writer’s Block?

“Some say love, it is a river…..”

Something happens when spring finally, really and truly, sproings — love abounds! Everything is growing, blooming, increasing. In Wisconsin, we’ve had an Irish spring — lots of green, lots of rain, and a slow movement toward warmer temperatures. In my neck of the woods, the baby animals are plentiful if you’re observant enough. Every weekend, wedding parties are in the parks getting pictures taken. The June anniversary shots are popping up in my Facebook feed, and mine will be there too next week. And, flowers — finally flowers are everywhere! Monochromatic days have been buried in our memories. In complete concordance with the times, the rose bush on the side of my house has exploded these last few days — thanks to my love who worked hard pruning it and replacing the trellis this year.

Robert Burns equated love with a red, red rose, (if you’re interested, there’s a lovely, lovely version of Carly Simon and her sisters singing the poem here) but the soft white ones with a hint of pink out my window come to my mind when I think of love. The bush was planted by the original owners of our home, an older couple who happen to attend the church we now belong to and we see them sometimes. I’m sure they’ve been married over sixty years. (Ed. note — 2017 — he has passed on and she is in a nursing home now.) Despite not being the most green-thumbed individuals, my husband and I have managed to keep this rose bush going, and now, thriving. Love and marriage can be a lot like rose bushes — some thorns, some amazing beautiful times and some times when external conditions drag you down.

Being a working writer is not unlike being in a loving relationship. There are times of ecstatic bursts of creativity, of quiet ho-hum routine, of turmoil, of difficulties, but as in a good marriage the effort to go through all the steps is well worth it. I’ve been in a season of difficulty in my writing. I’m not a big believer in writer’s block, but I’m getting converted. Though spring has made it feel like all good things are increasing, that hasn’t been the case with my writing. My writing feels icy and still stuck in winter. I’ve allowed my inner critic to get far too vocal and I’ve been singing the “I can’t do it,” blues. But that season is done. I’m not happy with my writing right now, but I’m still doing it. I’m not happy with my pace, but I’m at it. I’m not happy that this is such a hard section to slog through, but I’m doing it, because if I don’t, this story will never be read. This is my work to do — to share this story that I love, these characters that I love, hoping that others might love them too. I am the author of this story, no one else. Even in the wintry times, when the writing doesn’t come easily, we need to channel Bette Midler: “Just remember, in the winter, Far beneath the bitter snows, Lies the seed, that with the sun’s love, in the spring, becomes the rose.” And now, from the beautiful Bette, enjoy, The Rose:

https://medium.com/media/518552ba210d05cce0feb9750f16fea9/href

Keep the River Flowing was originally published in Pam Writes on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.