My keyboard and me

"One of the few things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot is, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time.  Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book; give it all, give it now." -- Annie Dillard

Today I spilled coffee on my laptop keyboard.  If you had been there with me, you would have been astounded by the speed in which I raced to find a napkin for such a small dribble.  After the scamper, the best method of clean up was obviously my cardigan sleeve.  But the whole exchange was not without its elements of hysterics.  Too bad I was in public.  Coffee shop fail.

Me and my keyboard have been through a lot together.  I bought this laptop right before starting grad school.  I wonder how many words it has helped me to articulate.  After considering many pages of brilliant theological thought in papers, not so brilliant Facebook posts, many emails, and a blog entry or two... that's a lot of words and a lot of expression.  So even though my novel project is still gathering dust-- I should own the fact that I am a writer.  I am a writer because I write.  And in the last few years, my thoughts, through their written nature, have found much fullness, indeed: they have found life.

I have been learning that I extend grace to many people-- lastly I extend grace to myself.  I have been holding that dusty novel against myself for years.  (legit, years)  Perhaps my learning for today is that I HAVE been writing.  And through reading all of it, I think one could get a pretty good idea of what my world is like, what goes on between my ears, and what makes my soul sing.  Today I am reminded that my writer-soul has plenty of reason for singing.