I am a bit of a contradiction in many ways. Okay, maybe more than a bit at times. One of the ways is in planning ahead. I believe in planning and the benefits of planning. At the same time, I believe in spontaneity. Beside this daily blog of random thoughts, I write a Daily Reflection. I try to write it the day before it is to publish so that the reflections can be a current as possible. I do not like working days or weeks ahead.
Last Friday, I wrote the reflection for Saturday. Sunday’s had already been written and queued up to publish since it is the reflection in my Pastor’s Column in our parish bulletin. I was so glad that happened because, as it turned out, I was hospitalized Friday morning for a leg infection and I would not have been in a position to write Saturday or Sunday’s reflections. That also gave me the time that I needed to set up my laptop and pull together a reflection for Monday while in the hospital.
So, there’s a bit of a tension between writing something “fresh” and having something ready to go days — or even weeks — ahead. I don’t know if I will ever find the right balance.
I struggle each day with preparation for many things so immediate and some weeks or months away. I find it difficult to write for future events not knowing for certain what will be happening at that time. I guess that is a part of many writers’ struggles.