Weeding The Garden (Tradeoffs and the Writing Life)

2013 brought challenges for my writing life.

First off, a situation arose in that when I traveled to an area with little phone or internet access, I returned to a personal attack on a social media site. Supposedly, I was an awful person for not responding to someone's texts and voice mails. "You never really know someone..." (Um, see above...limited access...hello!)

The odd thing was, that I had shared beforehand with this person about the upcoming trip and the possible lack of contact. Okay, while this person may have, for whatever reason, forgotten about the trip, bottom line was that he/she chose a victim role over true friendship.

Since my priority was and continues to be to interact with family, friends, and my writing in a healthy manner, in order to continue to do so without negativity and distractions, I found it necessary to weed such immaturity and neediness out of my life. So as sad, as difficult, and as hurtful as it was, I chose to cease contact with this person.

In order to avoid the continued, escalating drama, I had to let go of this years-long friendship. I was heartbroken and still miss that person to this day; however, I know for my own personal well-being and for the other aspects of my life (writing included), I made the healthiest possible choice.

As with any of life's choices, there are tradeoffs. Such as, in order to write, giving up:

• Television, except for a few prerecorded select shows;
• Drama-heavy people, even through I care for and about them; and
• Contact with with others, in order to claim writing time.

Health issues were also a challenge for me in 2013. After a year plus search for answers and help, in December I underwent a medical procedure that hopefully will lead me in the direction of better health. (If the rest of December and the beginning of January are an example, I'm most definitely on the right track.) The tradeoff of battling this illness was that I did not have as productive of a year writing-wise as I'd hoped. (Yep, tradeoffs work both ways.)

In order for the healthier aspects of ones life to grow, one must weed the negative out. So, in 2014, I shall continue to weed my garden, make tradeoffs, and write.

Onward!