Loving to Write and Writing to Love

My wife, Lynda, seldom comments on any of the stories that I write.  I quiz her from time-to-time, so I'm pretty certain that she reads most of them.  Even by my standards, I thought my last story, In Defence of Fruits, was a little "out there".  I asked my life partner what she thought and the reviews weren't too good.  Apparently there will be no Pulitzer Prize coming my way any time soon.

I only half listened to her constructive criticism because, dress it up any way you want, it is still criticism.  It also seems that the person you love most in this world is the one least likely to sugar coat anything that is said to you.  There's none of - "It was interesting, but it wasn't the type of story that I like."  Nor has there been anything like - "Perhaps more alliteration would spice things up, but I really loved the ending."  As we come up to twenty years of marital bliss, the need to preserve feelings has long since passed.  Even if Lynda did sing the praises of my literary offerings, it is quite possible that I would miss her comments because, as I mentioned, we husbands have a tendency to only half listen.

I think Lynda may have said something along the lines of how I should just stick to what I do best.  I'm not sure if she meant to just write about things going on in my life or whether that was a subtle hint that I should consider taking a permanent hiatus from pretending to be a writer.  Since I "retired" a year ago from my work of twenty one years, Lynda has been unquestionably supportive of my efforts to find myself.  In writing, I have discovered something that is both enjoyable and thought provoking.  Lynda's misgivings about that career choice may stem from the fact that the pay hasn't exactly added to our family's net worth ever since I began spitting out my stories this past January.  I guess my options have come down to a choice between finding a so called real job or living a more exciting life that will captivate my readers and cause them to want to shower me with money.  Hmmm, I hear McDonald's is hiring.

If writing is not what I do best, then I wonder what else it could be?  To be honest, I haven't a clue.  If I did, then I would no longer need to find myself, as I would have been found.

I wonder what Lynda would consider to be "what Jim does best"?  I think I will ask her that question tonight after we go to bed.  Lynda will certainly be impressed that I want to have such a deep and personal conversation.  She will be excited that I am making an effort to connect on such an emotional level.  Of course, as a man, I'm all for making my life partner excited about anything.  Also, as a man, I'll only be half listening to anything she says anyway.  I'll be doing a lot of nodding and "ah hum"ing.  With any luck, the excitement will serve its intention and we'll both work on making Jim better at something he really loves to do.  If that happens, then tomorrow I'll have something really good to write about. (That is, only if Lynda doesn't read this.  At least not until tomorrow.)