As I typed this heading, I could not help but have the song from the Black-Eyed Peas running through my head. There are many sayings about starting. Two of my favorites from very accomplished individuals are:
The secret to getting ahead is getting started
(Mark Twain)
Start where you are
Use what you have
Do what you can
(Arthur Ashe)
Well said, gentlemen. Well said. The thing is, as motivating as these quotes are, they still don’t put words down on this computer. With a personal deadline I’ve set for myself to publish this blog, I find myself unable to get started. To find my banter. To settle into the gentle rhythm of the story. I have instead googled recipes I will never make. Put ingredients for the meals we will be making into an organized grocery list, deleted most of those items, and then googled sushi take-out menus, and had a dozen or so conversations with the dogs who, quite frankly, just want to be left alone and not answer the question: “Who is a pretty girl? Who is a good girl? And who does big stretches?” Procrastination at its best. But it is time for me to buckle up and begin…
Starters. Ugh. The word itself seems to be laced with excitement. You start a race. You start a relationship. You start a new job. There is power in those first few moments you begin a new voyage. Anticipation of all the exciting things to come until… Something happens, and you are dead in the water. I know I am sounding dramatic, but when you have two starter fails in one week, you have to think that the universe is sending you a subtle message to just take a step back for a bit…
Let’s start with the first one. The starter on the boat. You know that thing, right? You depend on it to do a very simple task. Get the boat moving. When this little piece of machinery goes, so does your trip. After being primarily sailboat people, this has really never been a concern. If the engine didn’t start, we just threw up some sails. It isn’t always ideal when you are going through adverse currents or have no wind, but it is never an issue that has stopped the boat from moving. Enter the powerboat world, and loss of power is total loss of control.
The second is my new nemesis. Something that has controlled me for weeks without giving anything back. I have spent money, too much time, and worry over babying to get it moving along. It’s my sourdough starter. Now, if you have never been part of this cult-like world, let me tell you something. Resist. It will take over your kitchen, all your conversations, your Amazon account, your Facebook feed, and your time. For what? I don’t know. Mine started, but it has yet to finish. It is very similar to the boat one. It is there but just won’t turn over. I think it’s time to either hand it over to a professional to fix (Don Fontaine, can you work your magic on this one, too?) or simply part ways. It’s been a toxic relationship. All I have done is give, give, give, with nothing in return. Do I sound bitter? Heck yes. Being ruled by flour, perfect room temperature, and feeding schedules is not a life I want to live, but it’s so hard to walk away. Perhaps a vacation in a refrigerator is in order. A short break for both of us. We can stop spending time together during the day, and I will just visit it once a week to check in and see how it is doing. Perhaps after this separation, I can decide if I want to break up for good or really work it out. I know I seem Sour about all this, but all I want to do is make some Dough. I guess that’s just how the loaf crumbles…
Ok. Phew…I did it. I guess Mr. Twain was correct, so in honor of his wisdom, I am going to start something else right now. My toaster oven because my English muffin pizza is not going to make itself! Now that’s a beginning! I can get behind and know I will finish.
