The First Pancake

Oh, hello there! Haven’t been around here in a while.

I have taken a break largely from social media, writing and community activities. Moving to the Midwest, starting my new job, and renovating our home has taken all my mental capacity and there wasn’t any space for anything else. Thanks to all the Windows Insiders, MVPs, Adobe Creative Professionals, AP CompSci, and other communities I have been involved with for your patience. It’s nice to be back.

In my journal I have talked about the need to write. Each morning when I groom through the day ahead, I take note to “write something”. Well, this is that something. It isn’t perfect. It doesn’t really have a message. It doesn’t have any profound content, but it is something.

There is a poster I brought to work that says that “the best way to do something is to do it”. I do believe in the mantra #dothething; but recently that “thing” went from “the” thing to “any” thing.

So, yhy is it so hard for me to get back to writing? I write a sentence and then rethink it, delete it, or go to the next line and try to start again. I have been struggling with getting back to writing because I feel there are so many things in my head I want to get out but creating that stream of words escaps me. Just like with my workouts, writing is a muscle and it just hasn’t been used in a while and needs some stretching and some workouts to get it back into shape.

I am thankful for my daily journaling routine to help keep my writing muscles limber. What I find in my journal is that I can hear my voice. When I write for the public, I can’t hear myself in the words, and that troubles me. I strive for authenticity and sincerity. I don’t like to put some shellac on top of my voice. I write like I talk. Again, it will just take some time.

I use the analogy of the “first pancake” a lot. When you make pancakes you have your skillet or griddle and you need to warm it up, prep it and start cooking. But that first pancake you make is usually not that good. The griddle isn’t fully at the right temperature, the butter on the pan isn’t quite ready to cook with, but you must make that first pancake. The ones after that? Awesome and tasty. But you must get through that first one.

So this is that first pancake. It is me doing “a” thing, but not necessarily “the” thing.

So—check.

Now, it’s on to something tastier.