It was unbelievable. Right here in Orlando, Florida folks bundled up in their gloves, snow boots, scarves and wool caps while bravely enduring the frigid temperatures. An unsuspecting citizenry awoke to a record low … 65 degrees!
One lady rolled out of her car in a white ribbed, full length coat. She looked like the Michelin man. Smoke rose from chimneys. In Central Florida? Really?
All day long I listened to chattering teeth and complaints about the blustery weather. All the while, I thanked God for giving me one day when I could walk in from the parking lot without breaking a sweat. Those of you in Minnesota, Colorado and other northern states are probably laughing hysterically at the demise of the Central Florida freak of weather.
Albeit the most comical day I’ve had in Orlando, I learned so much from it. Like, comfort is truly relative. While I was feeling comfortable, my friends were planning to fly south for the winter!
Isn’t that the same with our writing? How often does a writer feel the numbness of their frigid atmosphere while watching others enjoying what seems to be a vacation, basking in the sun of their success?
I’m extremely warm-natured. Always have been. That’s why I don’t climb Mt. Everest. I’d melt it. Even though the temp dropped low enough yesterday for me to finally feel right, friends experienced a real bitter cold. A bone chilling, teeth chattering, frigid arctic blast. The fact that I was nice and comfy did not negate their pain. Sure, I teased without mercy, but I felt for them. They were very, very cold! Though I didn’t feel the same way, I could understand their discomfort. And I wanted to help them warm up.
I learned yesterday I cannot judge what another writer is going through based on my own comfort level. All writers won’t feel nice and toasty at the same time. Sometimes we sit with writer’s teeth chattering while others are sticking their toes in the sand on a hot beach. Not to worry. It happens to every writer. So if you’re feeling the writing Blizzard of 2010, throw on some fleece, sip some warm tea and relax. Come spring, your prose will sprout up with new life before you know it!
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Reba J. Hoffman is a natural encourager whose works appear in publications such as Running for the Women’s Soul by Road Runner Sports and The Good Fight by Donna Hicken. Her latest book, The First 20 Days, The Roadmap to Your Success, debuted in 2009. She holds a PhD in Clinical Counseling and is the founder and president of New Hope Institute of Counseling. She uses her experience with people to write romantic suspense.
