Interludes: An Introduction

Well, here I am, once again trying to write an online journal. Am I mad? Right now I have a full-time job as an editor with the State Department, run the web site for the Asian American Journalist Association's D.C. chapter, write a monthly newsletter for an Internet-based women's group, and have tons of family duties. How am I going to find time to write?

I must find some time to write. If I can write, that means I have managed to carve some time out of my busy life for my own. Having time to oneself is as important for good health as fresh food, exercise, and sleep. Having time to oneself allows one to recharge, heal, and grow mentally. Whether I sit at the computer for an hour typing after my son has gone to bed, or I jot notes in longhand at lunch or during my work commute, I need to find time regularly to review the events of my life and order my thoughts. Every once in a while, I need to make space between my work self and my family self, to create some interludes in my life in which my individual self can exist. Anne Morrow Lindbergh used to recharge herself by spending a week alone at the beach every year. Hopefully this writing exercise will do the same for me.