Yeah, in the shower. And I do mean standing in a tub type of shower. In the shower I was looking out of the window. Watching a shower. I thought that was funny. And I wanted to write about it. But as I stood there with suds in my hair and a razor in my hand and blob of conditioning soap in my other, I realized it was not the best time to write a story about being in a shower watching a shower. So I couldn't. And I didn't. And I thought and thought about all of the times a good story comes to me and I'm not able to write. It kills me.
Like really, when does a good story hit you when you have a couple hours to spare and you're sitting in front of your computer? Exactly. That's my point. We writers and bloggers need to be prepared. We need water proof paper with water proof pens. We need lots of flashlights with working batteries for those late nights. Heaven forbid I wake the house with an actual lightbulb! We need dictaphones, too, for those long ... or short, car rides. Oh I'll only go a couple of miles, think of an extraordinary story, swear to myself that I'll remember it, and then get out of my car only to never ever again recall what those thoughts were.
Unless, one day I'm back in the car and hits me again. That has happened. Of course, followed by the short term memory loss syndrome I seem to suffer when trying to recall a story I've come up with while not anywhere near a computer or a pad of paper. So even though it might, just might come back to me, I’m in the same situation and can’t write it down, and therefore, yes, I forget it. Yeah, sometimes I get lucky and find time to pull over, or make some scratches of an outline on the back of receipt tape as I'm going down a grocery isle. Things like that do happen. But why can't I be more prepared?
Maybe because being prepared would hinder the moment. What if I were to be prepared for the rest of my life and never again come up with a story? That would be tragic. No, I guess it's best that they come and go and entertain me. And when luck and magic and timing are all working together, I get to create a story for all to enjoy.
Now about that story in the shower…I forgot it.
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