Keeping it in balance…

C.E. Grundler

So I’m off today. Completely off, which is a rare event for me. No writing, (with the exception of this post,) no marina work, no boat work. Yesterday was my birthday, which involved various meals out with a surprising number of friends, and somewhere along the way I guess I ate something I shouldn’t have. Now,  I’m too drained to do much other than sit in my most comfy chair with my laptop living up to its name while a steady drizzle falls outside. I’d planned to spend the day messing about with fiberglass, but I don’t even have the energy to drive to the boat, no less hike up and down the ladder and toil away in a Tyvek suit. The word for today is ‘Sluggish.’ Technically, it’s Gastroenteritis  which Wikipedia was kind enough to clear up for me.

And upon my visit to the land of Wiki, a resource of endless information, that I was met with a small banner imploring me to support their not-for-profit organization. Maybe I’d seen it in the past, but usually I’m rushing from one thing to ten others, and thought, “next time.” But as a supporter of, among other things, NPR, several local animal rescue groups, cancer research funds and local environmental groups, I felt it fair to give back to a resource that has always been there for me.

I’ve noticed that seems to be the rule with my fellow Write on the Water authors as well, who are regularly involved in one good cause or another. Perhaps it holds true with writers in general. Part of being a writer involves drawing on every resource we can, be it the internet, some dog-eared books in the marina ‘book exchange’, and even eaves-dropping on conversations in the local grocery, which is one of my favorite sources of regional dialect. Want your dialog to carry that punch of realism? Linger by the checkout line at 5:30 on a weeknight. Trust me on this.

For most writers, we live as sponges, absorbing every word, every image, every nuance we can, knowing that somewhere along the line some may find their way into the lines on a page, painting a picture or setting a scene. And I guess, at least for me, donating is a way to repay all those bits of life I’m collecting – a way of keeping my Karma checkbook in balance.  And that reminds me. Once I’m feeling better again, it’s time to donate some more blood. It’s amazing how few people donate blood, only 5% of the population. It costs nothing but a bit of my time, and every time I do, it seems as though I feel a whole lot better. Or maybe it’s just the chocolate covered donuts they give me afterwards.

 

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