Saturday, July 19, 2014

The Comfort Zone...

I’ve basically spent my whole life living in a comfort zone; and in the scheme of things, maybe “safe” isn’t as safe as I figured it was.  I decided that this was the year of change.  I’m looking for a new job; have lost over ten kilo and last week, I joined a group of random writers…

Okay.  Let’s face it.  Joining a group of writers online is a whole world apart from actually turning up at some writers gig and opening my mouth to speak to them.  We all knew that was never going to happen.  Hell, the ex-Squeeze and I went to a million writers things.  When we got there, we were so socially inept we spent the whole time talking to each other and then leaving.

So I was never going to go.  Right..?

Wrong.  Today, I got up and dressed… Packed my laptop, leather journal and fountain pen in my Oroton briefcase and stepped outside my comfort zone.  Firstly, I drove to the city.  As a general rule, I’d train it… Fearful of getting lost; not knowing where to park… not being able to find my car at the end… Getting a hundred dollar bill for an afternoon of parking!

The year of change means doing it differently.  I marched out to the car and took off for the city.  I’ll admit, about half way in I was beginning to think I should turn around; but there was no time by then.  I was meeting my best friend and her sister in Chinatown for breakfast – so I persevered.  I hit the city and saw a sign so turned into park at Federation Square – which is about sixteen bucks for 24 hours.  Okay…  I can do that.  I can even find my way back there!  Everyone on the planet knows where Fed Square is so even I could find my way back there!

I had made it.  I was in the city.  My car was parked and I was off for breaky.  I put maps on my iphone and marched off to venue number one making it only 5 minutes late due to a wrong way. We had a great time (I’ll ignore how much damned seafood stuff was on for breakfast in Chinatown) but the vegetarian stuff was pretty good and it was about the company as opposed to the breakfast anyhow.  Then we went shopping for a few hours before I trekked off to the Giraffe Café for an afternoon with strangers to write.

Luckily, my best friend came for a coffee prior to flying off for Prague.  Basically, it meant that when I turned up; I was the coolest person there – because I bought an actual writer with me.  The guy running it nearly choked on his spleen which was pretty amusing.  Everyone else bought pads and pens; a few bought laptops.  I bought fountain pens, leather journals and a real, bona fide, paid... writer.

And at the end… I’d written two brief stories and spent hours talking to a table of strangers.  And I was okay.  No one died; no one called me out.  The year of change was actually turning out to be the "year of change".

I came home and cooked before having an idea for a short story.  I talked to my best friend before she flew out for Prague and we laughed our heads off over the writers she’d left gob smacked.

All in all.  I’m having a good time.  I’m inspired.  
I’ve remembered those things I forgot over the last few years.
I'm actually kind of interesting.  I'm not fat and horrible.  I'm funny; and I’m a writer.

Am I going back?  Yes.  Next fortnight.

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Thanks. Better check it out but it should be up today!