Raw Drip

Dear Drips -

After several months of feeling mentally & creatively tapped by the competing demands of my work life and home life I nearly gave up on Raw Drip.  As much as I love my little creative writing venture it was looking as though time for writing would end up the loser in my ongoing struggle to maintain balance in this crazy juggling act of a life.

Just as I was preparing to inform tech support (aka Dick) of my decision to shut down the Raw Drip website, a remarkable thing happened; your voices emerged with words of encouragement.  You said things like, “Hey, what the hell happened to your blog?”, “I miss Raw Drip” and “Weren’t you the one who used to write about raw dick or something?”

“Yes; I did.  Er, I mean, I am.  Yes, I’m the one who wrote about Dick,” I would mumble feebly in reply.

With those mumbled words I realized that I was lost, disillusioned with life and my future, and way too busy to give a crap about anything other than surviving from weekend to weekend.  Raw Drip was dead at just shy of 18 months old and I was killing it with neglect.

But when my husband joined your ranks this week by reminding me that my writing plays a critical role in nurturing my soul I gave Raw Drip’s neglect and soon-to-be demise second thoughts.  I knew I had to pick up my laptop, rinse out my coffee mug and ignore my chattering children for an afternoon.  It was time to rekindle my passion for writing and explore the new phases of my life…before I was overtaken by them.

What new phases of life, you ask?  Well, let’s see…I’m teetering on the edge of my late 30’s (yikes!) and with the baby & toddler phases behind me I’ve found myself with all new challenges.  From the cheeky 3rd old toddler he used to be, I now have a smart, expressive 5-yr old son who’s enduring the perils of Kindergarten.  Then there’s my 4-yr old daughter whom Dick and I consider to be the “challenging kid” these days – newly prone to irrational outbursts and high-pitched screaming fits that can shatter glass and summon dogs from miles around.  Finally there’s my husband, Dick, still the supportive father, husband, geek and Raw Drip tech support – only now with more gray hair and less patience.  The players are basically the same, but the game keeps changing.

In my ongoing adventures of self-discovery I’d like to say I’ve used the past 8 weeks to evolve into a savvier, smarter, sexier version of myself  - but I haven’t.  I’m still a work-in-progress only now I’m re-committed to making progress.  Hopefully this public examination of my struggle will keep you reading and relating. Sure I’m still aiming to entertain, inform, intrigue and occasionally inspire you but I’m also trying to do that for myself.  And rather than do what I’ve always done – give up on my passions and pursuits for practical reasons – (no “martyr/mom” here, thank you) I’m going to tap that inner spring of tenacity that I usually reserve for my family & friends and try applying a little more of it to myself.

Anyway, my deepest thanks to you loyal Drips.  Although small in numbers, you’ve expressed more passion for Raw Drip than I’ve had in recent memory and it’s your tenacious belief in my writing that inspires me to keep trying.

Best,

Sam