Expectations and the Writer’s Life
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By Tim Anderson
“We love to expect, and when expectation is either disappointed or gratified, we want to be again expecting.”
–Samuel Johnson
What is it about expectation that is so captivating? So enthralling, so - essential?
It’s a particular bane of writers that their lives are lived between moments of expectation. The expectation that a job will be assigned, a contract offered, a story idea stumbled upon, or a project masterfully completed. The joys of great expectations fulfilled are beyond compare. The sorrows of expectations unmet are haunting.
Yet, expectations are part and parcel of the writer’s life. And, it should not be otherwise. The thrill of expectations is the fuel of our souls, giving wings to words that would otherwise lay dormant in the seedbeds of our imaginations.
But…
To whose expectations do you listen?
An acquaintance recently forwarded a job listing to my inbox. I sent a reply thanking him for thinking of me and, though it wasn’t something in which I was interested, made some vague comment like, “I’ll take a look.” Good enough, let’s move on with life. To my surprise, he followed up to ask, “So what did you think of the job we talked about? Is it something you are interested in or not?”
Hmm…
So, as a dyed-in-the-wool paranoid artistic type, my first response was, “Yikes! He thinks I should do this!”
…Expectations. Regardless of their source they play a powerful role in our lives. How is it that one minute I can be dedicated to a well thought out plan for my writing career and the next be riddled with doubts? All over a single question from a fellow I hadn’t heard from in months? How insane is this? How absurd? How very much the personification of the writer’s life?
So, be steadfast. Guard your heart and spirit from intruders’ expectations. Set your own thoughtful course, enjoying its unique joys and sorrows. Then, relax and expect the best…
Enjoy the journey.
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Tim Anderson specializes in writing health content and press releases. Check out his bio. and other samples of his work by clicking on his name above.
Topics: writer's life, Tim Anderson, The Medical Migrant, Uncategorized |