The Zombie Induced Writer’s Block
Writer’s block I’m sure for the experienced writer is hard, but for the inexperienced writer like me, it’s terrifying. I have written 62 posts and never once have I had a hard time putting the words down on paper. I usually have 3 or 4 posts written and stacked just waiting for their turn to be featured on my website. This week I have no backup posts and literally three posts with a total of 1,709 words of crap. For the last 11 days, I am sure I have been stricken by the Zombie Virus and instead of actually turning into a zombie, the virus stole my creativity. Honestly, I think I would have rather have turned into a zombie.
For the last 11 days, I was in a fog. I was too tired to pay attention to Facebook. I was too tired to pay attention to Instagram and forget about Twitter, on a good day, Twitter has to work really hard to get my attention. With the combination of my recent trip to Canada, its bad WiFi, and being sick I have seemed to have weaned myself off of social media. However, for someone whose only “job” is to write a blog that is solely distributed on social media, that’s a bit of a problem.
I did, however, noticed that being away from social media has made me even more present in my life, right down to driving. While driving to Walgreens for more medicine, I did my first double-take ever. I saw a homeless man, walking down the sidewalk holding his “Johnson” and peeing as he walked. He was peeing and walking down the sidewalk like it was the most normal thing in the world. It got me thinking where else could that poor man go to relieve himself? I’m pretty sure any store or shop would turn him away in an instant. He couldn’t loiter around buildings because someone would call the police for suspicious activity. The best thing I suppose he could do was just pee on the run. To be honest, it all happened so fast that it took a few blocks for the fog to clear in my brain and for me to realize what I had just seen. Once the fog was lifted, I actually wished it would come back. What happens in a person’s life that results in them being in that situation? How can that person be helped? Does that person even want to be helped? It made me think of that saying “Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be Kind. Always.” I feel so sad and helpless when I see situations like that man. It and it makes me feel slightly guilty that I have a life that includes a bathroom and a comfy bed to curl up on when I’m sick. I couldn’t imagine being sick and not having a home.
Someone said to me “I love your life” a while back on Facebook. It surprised me because the person who said this was a cousin. A cousin who I haven’t seen since we were little, like really little, but when I see her life on Facebook I feel like a fake. She does more for her community on a daily basis, like gets out there and gets her hands dirty, than I can ever dream of doing. I can give every person with a tiny cardboard sign all the money in my wallet. I can be kind. I can volunteer for Meals On Wheels, but it’s not enough. There will always be a homeless person who doesn’t have a warm bed when they are sick. There will always be a homeless person who doesn’t have a bed period.
I want to do more; I want to be worthy of the compliment “I Love Your Life”. Julie DePrada, I love your life! I’m proud to call you family and all the work you do for your community is admirable, and your community is lucky to have you in their midst.