Prizing Potential

October already. Where did September go? People always muse about how quickly time passes and I always think, "maybe if you stopped talking about how quickly the minutes are passing, you'd be able to really enjoy them by doing something more productive." There. I just wasted 3 sentences and 1 minute and 45 seconds going on about the time. Time I'll never get back.

Now I could blame the lack of posts on the fact that I have been busy with school and all that comes with that. You know the speech - we teachers do not really get off at 2 nor do we really work a mere 5 day/40 hour week. I have been busy. But now, into my fourth year, I kind of feel like I have a handle on this teaching business. So, in fact, I have had some time to write. Trouble is, I've had nothing to say. Every time I think I might have something, I start, hoping that if I just type the first few words, the rest will come like they usually do.

• But this is as far as I've gotten in the past month.
• Fall is upon us. The leaves are getting that orange hue. This isn't good.
• My computer battery running out. What's interesting about this?
• I have my own desk and office now - away from the TV, the kitchen and other distractions. This just makes me feel worse about not being able to utilize it.
• I'm striving for financial maturity. The Mr. and I are trying to get smart about finances which means I have to start
• Rosh Hashanah. Shananah. Hananah. Ha ha. Happy New Year.

You can see why none of these made it to publication. The trouble is, I often start with nothing and end up finding something to write. So I've been stuck. Dead end after dead end. And clearly you people have been at a loss without my words of wisdom, constantly wondering, "when will there be a new post?" All you dedicated blog readers have been so kind not to complain about the endless checking, with no new post.

And then Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. And I have a renewed hope.

If our President can win arguably the most prestigious international award after only 9 months in office...surely all I need is one good article. One good post to get into the hands of one desperate publisher and then I'll get an award…a column…syndication…an appearance on Oprah. I will talk about how I really don’t deserve such praise is. I'll talk about the months and years of writing when no one cared and highlight how my experience has been no different from every struggling writer. I'll explain all the hours spent writing and revising and bloody fingertips from typing into the night. The sacrafices my fingernails have endured; how the changing landscape of written word, from newspaper to internet to cell phone to tattoos on the human body has been just one more obstacle to becoming “a writer.” I’ll be ever gracious in explaining that I will accept my award on behalf of all writers. And then I'll panic because then I will have to really show that I can write and I deserve the award, that I'm not just some old lady hacker whose grandmother insists is the next Maureen Dowd.

Obama says he wants to decrease troops in Iraq. He also says he wants to increase troops in Afghanistan. He says he is open to negotiate with North Korea. He says he wants to work with the United Nations. He says he wants to end unilateral involvement in world affairs. He says he wants Israel and Palestine to find peace. Obama has said a lot. He has said the “right” things. He talks of peace and communication. Do I think he can achieve any of it? Will he leave the world more peaceful than when he entered into office? He’s got the potential to. He might. There are plenty who hope so. But since when do we award Nobel Peace Prizes to those with potential? That’s like putting my unwritten novel on the bestseller list.