The Perfect 10 That Wasn’t So Perfect

I did not want to write today. I still don’t.

Today is supposed to be a perfect day. A “Perfect 10.” The tenth consecutive day that I’ve published as part of Ship 30 for 30.

It’s been a stressful few weeks:

• I found out I had 90 days to move out of a rental house I had no intention of leaving any time soon.

• It’s a seller’s market, and buying a house right now feels like the closest thing to a “living hell” I’ve experienced in a while. The rental market is worse!

• I’m currently living in Mississippi. Do you know what we’re famous for? Besides lynchings? We’ve simultaneously become known as the highest per capita COVID-19 state (not just in the U.S., the world!), as well as the lowest per capita vaccination state.

• Two of my family members have already tested positive for the good ole Delta Variant since “masks optional” school began. One ended up in the hospital, thankfully for less than 24 hours.

• And by the way, all of the regular dumpster fires you can find on a doomscroll near you are still burning!

That may not be a lot for you, and plenty of people have it much worse, but it’s a lot for me.

I. AM. EXHAUSTED.

But here I am. Writing another atomic essay. I’m going to ship it. Because a couple of weeks ago I signed up to publish 250-ish words per day for 30 consecutive days.

It’s a little like working out.

You see, I pretty much hate working out. But I do it 4-5 times a week. Why? Because it’s what I do. It’s a good habit, and it helps me stay healthy. Plenty of habits are simultaneously as good for you as they are unpleasant.

So here I am. Getting ready to hit publish. Because it’s what I do.

Because I am a writer.