Just Right

I went to Atlanta with Heather last weekend to lead a session on writing called "Just Write" based on the long-running series of the same name on her blog.

We met at the airport and took a cab to the wrong hotel and then had trouble with a cash machine but we eventually left the safety of the hotel and found the MARTA station to take the train to the correct hotel.

It could have been stressful but it wasn't.

As we we stood side by side trying to buy tickets for the train, I laughed to myself and thought, "Of course, this would happen to us. Of course." It was a particularly affectionate thought and striking upon reflection because this "us", this friendship is so very new in many ways.

The next day, we hooked up my laptop to the projector and loaded our slides, set our notes upon the podium and waited for the room to fill. There was only one microphone and I wondered how it would work.

Wouldn't it be awkward for two people to stand at a podium?

How would we know when to pass off the microphone?

The room did fill and we began and it felt effortless. We talked and people wrote and then some shared their work or their questions and thoughts and it felt just right.

I have spoken at conferences about writing twice now and, each time, I have felt like the little kid who gets off the roller coaster and says, "Again!"

After our session, I was talking to some other people and I was struck by how this all began for me. I thought about my seven years of blogging and how I've learned to value doing things even when you don't know why you are doing them or what you might gain from them. I said, "The first thing I wrote on my blog was a poem about a baby carrot and now I talk to groups of people about writing."

There is so much to learn from simple beginnings.

And I know that this is what I want to do. I want to write and talk to people about writing and sit with people who love stories and storytelling as much as I do. I want to hold on tightly, want my laughter and fear to mingle and get lost in the wind and when the ride comes to a stop and I exit safely to my right, I will say, "Again."

This post was written for Just Write. Check out Heather’s post which includes a picture from our MARTA adventure and her own reflections on the weekend. Also check out the posts of all who joined in this week.