The Significant Other Blogfest--Walk2Write's SAM

“A writer is a terrible thing to waste.” At least that’s what I keep reminding myself when at 2:00 A.M. I roll over to find an empty bed. I don’t worry because this has happened several times before – the brainstorm of creativity my wife is compelled to pour out of her soul and mind, no matter the time of day or night. And I’m the primary benefactor of all her skill at mixing poetry, prose, history and thoughtful insight into our world’s current state of affairs, and putting all those complexities together in a story that reflects the simple day-to-day living of our lives. I am usually the very first person to read her latest blog posting. This way when the inevitable question is posed by me, “What exactly does this mean?” my enlightened-self delights that I know the answer before almost anyone else, and have figured it out almost all by myself!

Getting back to the first statement about a wasted writer, I must say that to prevent this tragedy, encouragement must be presented consistently and honestly. Can my dear wife-writer get absorbed at the keyboard or go through the bog of writer despair when the flood of ideas are sealed up in the gray clouds of her mind? Of course. These are the times I most try to lift the fog and play “let’s make up funny character names for your first novel.” I can’t reveal any of the character names because one day they will be famous. Also, I like to encourage her by offering up silly parodies of famous stories or limericks (some decent and some not so). One thing is for certain; I am blessed to be married to an awesome writer. Seeing her joy at completing a story and then reading those marvelous letters of the alphabet, strung together better than any pearl necklace ever seen at your local jeweler, encourages me that life is good, and my wife-writer knows how to keep it that way.


This Blogfest encourages us "significant others" to give a glimpse into the character of our spouse, best friend, or person who inspires us the most. Yes to all of the above! My wife, who is also my best friend and inspires me to reach beyond my comfort zone, has the patience of Job, but will not hesitate to speak her mind if I stray from the course set by hands much more capable than ours. She loves to garden, cook great meals, and spend time with her family. She works harder than should be necessary to keep our marriage going strong. She can be a clean freak, but has surrendered a little ground to me through the years (hooray for five pairs of shoes by the front door!).

I don't want to sound too sappy, but I don't know how I would make it in this world without her. She gets annoyed at the "entertainment news" fed to us Americans on the networks and is fed up with politicians' shenanigans, like most everyone else I know. Another major irritant for her is people too full of themselves or those who do not treat everyone with respect. She fights this negative energy surrounding us by studying history, observing the world around her, and putting her thoughts down in print. In a way, writing is her coping mechanism and her way of dealing with a world gone a bit nuts. I have to say that I did not always recognize that her literary journals were in reality a method of making sense of the big picture, and ultimately her way of making our world a better place. But my wife and best friend has this gifted way of opening eyes not quite focused on truth and redirecting sight to a place of light and seeing. This thing called blogging is pretty cool, and a cyber-family can be a real social benefit and community. In conclusion, to all you writers, poets, and philosophers - keep doing what you do because your efforts are never in vain.

Here's a link to the hosting site for this blogfest: Cruising Altitude.