An Introduction

In my ongoing effort not to be prehistoric, I decided to start a blog. Actually, I've been writing a blog for three years -- it's on my orthodontic website. But you don't want to hear about my teeth. And lord knows, I don't want to tell you about them. They used to be crooked, but now they're really straight and beautiful. And that's all you need to know.

This first post is long, but I promise that future posts will be susinct.

"Heart My Beat." What does that mean? It's a line from my poem Disco. This line is indicative of who I am. My heart, the beat of my life, the rhythms that take me from one moment to the next.

I'm a struggling writer. I suppose most writers struggle. Even the most eloquently successful writers have shitty tongue-tied days. I used to write a lot of poetry, but parentood put a serious crimp in that for a long time: I was too exhausted to feel creative. Nowadays I'm still exhausted but the ideas that have been percolating for so long are bubbling up to the top. So here I am.

For a long time, my writing languished in folders on a bookshelf. A few of my poems were published in the early 80s, but I never pursued it past that point. Maybe it's middle age creeping up on me -- I dunno -- but I decided to give it another whirl. I figured that I owe it to myself. My husband surprised me last summer by converting all my old radio shows to MP3s when I was away on vacation. So when I came home to that cool surprise, I decided to put them up on the web. And what the hell, I put up some of my writing, too. I suppose it's all a bit of a vanity project -- but I just wanted to put myself out there and see what happens.

Before I go any farther, here's some important recent history. In October (3 months ago), I had surgery on my left shoulder. It went really well, but I'm still recovering. You would not believe how long it takes to regain total mobility and strength in your arm and shoulder after surgery like this (and my surgery was only minor). It really sucks. I still go to physical therapy two times per week, do various difficult exercises every day, and continue to suffer with some amount of pain. It's getting better, but it will probably be another month or two before I'm completely healed. So I haven't played my guitar or bass very much recently. And because physical therapy takes up so much of my time right now, I haven't had the time or motivation to do other things.

But that is slowly changing. When this is all behind me, I plan to play tennis, do a bunch of upper bodybuilding (we have a Bowflex at home, which I used to love using), get back on my bicycle, and maybe even take up a martial art again (I'm toying with the idea of kickboxing -- I have the urge to go Uma on a punching bag. Hi-yaaaaaa!). I did Aikido before the kids were born, but it was too hard on my back. If all else fails, there's always Tai Chi.

This year I have a lot of goals, both personal and professional. Maybe the best way to start this blog is by telling you my New Year's Resolutions. Today is January 7th, and -- pathetic procrastinator that I am -- I've only managed to accomplish two of them (drinking more water and writing every day).

LynnZee's Resolutions for 2005 -- A Baker's Dozen

1. Exercise more regularly (both strengthening and aerobic). See how long I can jog without killing my knees. Investigate a martial art.

2. Try to lose that extra 5 lbs with exercise and watching my food intake (lay off the junk calories). Eat more veggies.

3. Carve out a block of time each day to meditate. (This one is really tough...30 minutes of sitting still seems almost impossible on some days....this one will take a lot of discipline!)

4. Get back to playing my guitar and bass. Review various scales, learn some new stuff, improve speed and accuracy. Write some new songs, fercrissake!

5. Write something every day.

6. Continue connecting with the local poetry scene, get out there and get further published in hard copy and on the web.

7. Spend more quality time with my husband and kids.

8. Continue learning and applying the fundamentals of Buddhist philosophy.

9. Get enough sleep every night.

10. Drink more water.

11. Try harder not to be late for appointments (I'm chronically 15 minutes late and I really hate that!)

12. Read more books -- read on a more regular basis.

13. Lighten up.


Before I go...I want to know if anyone out there is actually reading this. Give me a shout in the comments, OK?

Oh, and I want to give my own shout out: to Wil Wheaton, Dooce, and The Saturday Poets for inspiration. And to my husband, who loves and supports me no matter how much of a momur I can be sometimes. (You can hear the song here. If you search Google you can download it for free -- apparently legally. I love Adrian Belew's music! :)