like a lot of people, i was worrying that i might not make this one for october, partly because i was invited to join so late in the month, and partly because i couldn’t think of anything to do.
but then i realized that i have done something new a fulfilling, without even meaning to.
as some of you may know, i’m also quitting smoking. it’s prolly my biggest goal on 43things right now. and it’s going well so far—i’ve had a couple of slip-ups, but nothing i didn’t expect and nothing i feel bad about. about a week ago i wrote an entry under “quit smoking” about how nervous i was about a big piece i was writing for a local magazine. i usually smoke a lot when i’m writing; it helps me take a break and refocus my thoughts when i get lost or stuck. i was afraid i simply wouldn’t be able to do it—to find the right words, to shape the piece, to finish it at all—without my usual smoke breaks.
welp, not only did i finish it, but i heard back from the editor this morning, and he said it was “so perfect” and the the best thing he’d read yet (about the band i was profiling). how do you like them apples?! go me!!!
oh, yeah! i actually did two new and fulfilling things with this one—i wrote something big without smoking for the first time since i was about 16 (and i’m 30 now, so that’s huge), and i wrote a profile of a rock band—aside from one short album review, i’ve never done any music writing before.
october: check and check!
(p.s. — i did one other new and fulfilling thing this month: i had my first real conversation ever with a particular ex, someone with whom i’ve always been on “strange” terms at best. we broke up two years ago, and this was the first time since we met (almost five years ago) that we’ve had a convo in which neither of us was trying to do anything to or get anything from the other. it was nice, to say the least.) :)
