Feeling 32

Today was my birthday. It was a good one. I don't teach on Tuesdays, which means I stay home and mainly do press work. That's mostly what I did today, though my stints at the computer were punctuated with cake. I also had a chance to write, run, and spend time with B.

31 was a good year both personally and professionally. The older I get, the more I realize how charmed my life has been and how fortunate I am to be able to live this writing life. I have time and space to work on something I'm passionate about. I get to share that passion with young people. I have a steady job, a decent income, and the support and love of an amazing man. No, my life isn't glamorous. I'm not off on some adventure. I'm not filthy rich. I'm not famous. But I am wholly blessed, content, and joyous. In short, life's been good these past 32 years.

So, how's the writing life been since I left off? Ok I suppose. I'm giving the whole writing a memoir thing another shot. For some reason, even though I don't do Nanowrimo anymore, I always feel like writing prose at this time of the year. Around this time last year I was also working on this same darn memoir. Maybe one day I'll actually finish it. I'm about 20,000 words in. I suspect I have about 50,000 in me for this project, if I'm lucky. I'm writing about my preteen years and my experience coming of age in the Middle East. I think it's an interesting story. I went to school with the Qatari royal family in the late 1990's and early 2000's and was good friends with the former Emir's daughter and niece, so much so that I would go to the "palace" after school some days for pizza and movies. I had my first date with a Palestinian boy. I learned a lot about the lives of women, how our experiences are hugely different across the world but fundamentally the same. Even after returning to the states, I kept in touch with my girlfriends on the phone and online. Then, 9/11 happened, and my friends quit calling. I quit calling, too. I haven't spoken with them since. Maybe my 32nd year on this earth will be the year I finish the memoir.

I've been shopping Iliad around with somewhat disappointing results so far. I think this is keeping me from continuing on with creating more poetry. I've been receiving a lot of rejection letters, too, and its been awhile since a poem was picked up. I know the only way to "fix" this issue is to keep on keeping on. I should read more poetry. I should write more poetry. I should study more poetry. And I should submit more poetry. Right now, though, I think I need a little break, so I'm giving myself some space and allowing my energy to be focused elsewhere. As long as I'm continuing to be productive creatively, I won't beat myself up too much about it.

Anyway, that's my update from the Katie-Sphere. I'm still here. I'm writing. And I'm incredibly blessed.