From my side of the fence

I awoke today to an epiphany – which merely means I’ve been surrounding myself with various thoughts, dreams and desires and this morning something became clear.

My training has pushed me to love footnotes (sometimes), create bibliographies (I have a Master of Library Science), and research thoroughly.  I have often felt that I couldn’t let a piece of written material pass through my fingers without complete regard for plagiarism.

I’m 60 (actually 61) now.  I’ve decided I’m going to plagiarize my life.

There are things that I see my way.  I’m not sure what others’ positions are on them, but this is me.  If I don’t write from my perspective, I’m not true to myself (a current fad in life coaching).  There is some truth to that deep down desire – I surround that desire with the greater desire to know God and be an individual “under God”.

With that codicil in mind, I am feeling a deep urgency to write.  God pounded that word into my head a few weeks ago when I asked him what I should do with my life when I grow up.  I was secretly hoping for things like influence people, be a success, be financially stable.

None of that!  Just write.

And then I realized that I have been less than forthcoming with my writing – perhaps fearing rejection (a grade six phobia spurred on by a class of laughing students after I had poured my heart into a short essay on the white tailed deer).  But maybe more fearing that moral and ethical dilemma of not having researched enough, or asked enough questions, or perfected the art of my writing.

I felt that burdened lifted this morning.  “Write about your side of the fence.”  That was the striking epiphany as I pedalled leisurely on my exercise bike.

Yes, I’m positive I will plagiarize someone’s idea that has become my own.  I will be excited about a twist of phrase that I have jotted down from somewhere and I won’t be able to find the author’s name.  I will even find myself going in circles and probably contradicting myself (may someone point this out to me as I go!).

My thought is to create another publishing effort – another blog.  Not sure how it will look – just thoughts from my side of the fence.

Let’s see how that goes.