The Miracle of the Shower

Some days, even the shower fails me.

It's not that it doesn't accomplish the task at hand. The soap, water and shampoo all live up to the expectations I've set for them, yet they fail to wash away the mental clutter and reveal clarity and creativity. The suds circle the drain, and my hopes go with them.

You see, I get some of my best ideas in the shower. When my daughter was small, I joked that that was because it was the only place I got any privacy. But now that she has reached an age where she craves privacy even more than I do, she gives me more time to myself than she did back then.

And so most days, coming up with ideas isn't all that difficult. Usually, I have more ideas than I have time to write down, let alone implement.

Until it's time to sit at the computer and write a blog.

By the time I started blogging on the WITF site, I'd had enough practice to know I'd need a hook or a format if I stood any chance of posting more words on a regular basis. So, I begin each blog with a quote. Sometimes the quote comes first, sometimes the post comes first, but one feeds the other, which makes it easier to fill the blank page.

But here, you're subject to the whims of my imagination - and the ideas I generate in the shower.

It's funny that someone who is rarely at a loss for words in conversation can find herself rendered virtually speechless when it comes time to compose. Funny unless you're the one supposed to be writing the post.

"I think the hardest thing about writing," said Nora Ephron, "is writing."

Amen to that.