A Writer's Perspective
by Beth K. Vogt

Writing the Freeway
July 12 , 2005

Sometimes it feels like I write in the middle of the freeway. Surrounded by an overactive dose of life, I struggle to distill my thoughts into worthwhile prose. It feels like I'm sitting in the middle of a four-lane freeway, trying to write while dodging cars and trucks whizzing past at 70 miles per hour. Repeated interruptions shatter my focus. My creative energy is short-circuited by other people's needs and wants.

Case in point: Not two minutes after I sat down to type this article, my kitten--who loves to perch in my lap while I write--climbed up on my desk and knocked over my water bottle. So much for keeping my creative juices flowing. Instead, I'm mopping up water--and wondering what important papers are now ruined.

It's not just my life that seems like a turbo-charged race. I'm part of a busy family: husband, 22-year-old son, two teenage daughters, and one 4-year-old. Each individual adds another fast lane to my life. I'm driven to keep up with their schedules--soccer games, band concerts, work schedules, play dates--at the same time I try to keep pace with mine.

And somewhere in the midst of all this, I'm supposed to find time to write. Correction: I need to find time to write. What's a writer to do?
Retreat.

The only way I find the time and space I need to write is at Panera Bread, a local coffee and bagel shop. I sequester myself in a booth, thankful there are no phones to answer, no laundry to do. I don't even have to clean up my lunch mess. But I can't stay at Panera from 6 AM to 9 PM. Somebody would throw me out, or my family would come and haul me back home.

I'm learning to be thankful for the few hours each week I manage to write away from home. I remind myself that those frustrating interruptions are the most treasured people in my life. Sooner than I think, the house will be empty of children. In those future "somedays" time will drag on. I can't imagine that now, but I know it is the truth. Until then, I'll dodge "traffic" and try to write while living in the fast lane.

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