Writing And Not

Where does this impulse come from?  I'm wondering because I've gone through a spell in which I didn't write at all.  I'm usually working on something--a speech, an essay, a story or even a poem.  But lately, nothing.  It's best done when I have a lot of energy, writing when I'm tired is not for me.  If I have energy when I start, however, I can keep writing for hours and not feel tired.  I spent some time carrying a little notebook and a pen to capture thoughts I might explore in writing.   Lately they have mostly contained lists of tasks I need to do, grocery lists and other odds and ends.  Not sure of this, but I don't know if a grocery list would prove a very interesting basis for writing an essay.

Let's take a look.There's a sleep diary the doc asked me to keep for two weeks to report the results of my newest prescription, intended to help me sleep.  That would be number six, no seven, in the progression of pharmacological treatment.  The diary indicates progress in sleep, so number seven's permanent now.  I am now on to number eight, which is not expected to have any impact for the first three or four weeks, so no diary on this one.   

But back to the notebook--a list of items to pick up at Lowe's for a project in my home office--stain, a few boards, shelf brackets and copies of the key to our front door (a couple of new locks I just installed).  Hmm, not much inspiration for writing there.

Next up, a list of recipe items needed for making gingerbread men.  A new Christmas tradition, Grandma and Mom go Christmas shopping, while Grandpa makes his famous gingerbread men with the grands.  It turns out the grands are just old enough and competitive enough to take turns with the mixer, the rolling pin and the cookie cutters, of course.  But these are not traditionalists.  Each of them had to choose a different shape to cut out, so we wound up with only half a dozen gingerbread "men," and "women," the latter were added at grandma's insistence--granting equal time to the female grandchild, etc.  However, neither of the grands would use the gingerbread characters irrespective of gender.  So, when I got the occasional turn, i made that handful of gingerbreads.  I was lucky the pumpkin cutouts didn't work, or we'd have some of those instead.  It wore me out, but still not much writing material was there?  A slice of life to be sure, but...

Back to the notebook, there are passwords, task lists (too many repeat items, of course), more shopping lists and no more ideas for writing, so I'm on my own.  Ah, here's an old note--"Monday 10AM, Starbuck's."  Coffee with a friend.  I remembered that one without the note.  Maybe there is something in that to inspire.    

Well, it's a start, writing about not writing, but the grands are on their way over, so I'd better call it a day.