Do you ever just sit down, put your head in your hands, and think, What the hell am I doing with my life? Where am I GOING?
I do. All. The. Time.
I want to be a writer. A REAL writer. But I don't really know how to go about doing that. There are no clear steps to becoming a successful writer, so I figure it's just about throwing stuff out there and seeing what happens. Kind of like this blog. If I pretend to be a writer, maybe I will actually become one.
Like my boss. She is a lawyer. Many years ago when she was first starting out, she would take any case she could get, but she really wanted to be an immigration attorney. One day, someone called her and asked, "Are you an immigration attorney?" And she said, "Yes. Yes I am." Even though she had never taken an immigration case in her life and knew basically nothing about it. But because she SAID she was an immigration attorney, she stepped into the role of BEING one, and then she was.
So maybe I'm going to have to start doing that. Hi, I'm Ashley. I'm a writer.
Also what I've noticed about writers, and people in general, is that if you feel invested in them, you tend to want to keep up with them. Take, for example, the Bachelorette. When I first start watching the Bachelorette, I think: Ha ha, this is such a ridiculous show, let's watch these men all fight for a girl they barely know. Let's see what kind of crazy-ass drama will happen to this girl, because what a weirdo to put herself in this position.
But then I start to have feelings. After I watch the show for awhile, I get to know this girl. I've watched her struggle through the chaos created by inevitable assholes that try to sabotage her quest for love, I've seen her get all giggly and excited about some of her suitors, I've laughed with her as she's put her boys in ridiculous situations just to see how they react (making rap videos, playing games of dodgeball, pretending to be cowboys... you know, normal date things). (Sidenote: I always think that it would be a really good idea to put the contestants in real-life situations. I mean, of COURSE you will fall in love if you are surrounded by hot men and you are travelling all over the world together. There is the drug of being in love, and THEN there is the drug of travelling, and both give you a high and make you feel giddy and excited. I say they should see how these guys deal with stressful situations, because THAT'S when you find out someone's true character... have someone steal the girls purse, or have their car break down, or have someone throw tomatoes at them. You know, real life stressors.) I've watched her make out with all the hot boys and try to imagine myself in her position. I watched her heart break when the guy she thought she loved left the show because he didn't feel the same way. I've seen her joy and her tears, and by the end I am crying in happiness with her when she finally chooses the man of her dreams.
Damn you, ABC. How did you make me care so much about a stranger on a dating show? Because you grabbed my head and forced me to sit in front of the TV and learn about the stranger. And then she was no longer a stranger to me, she was like a cousin who I just wanted to see succeed in life. I just want Desiree to be happy.
The point of this story is that once I got to know Desiree, I wanted to see what she did next. So maybe if you feel like you know me, you will want to keep reading what I write. And maybe that's one way that people become successful writers: People want to read your stuff. I'd say that's a success.
But my next question would be, what do people like to read? Are people entertained by these rambling stories I have of my life, or should I actually have a POINT? Some people blog about specific things, like being healthy, or photography, or travelling the world on a panda, but I don't do any of those things enough to be able to write a whole blog about it. What I have are stories about photo wars and tortilla-wrapped protein bars and getting mugged... and you know what? I actually think that's enough. I think that's why people love shows like How I Met Your Mother and Friends, because it's based on people living life and the weird quirks that come along when you bust out on your own with your own friends and own struggles. I know some of my friends get tired of me quoting these shows all the time, but it's because I can relate; I know what it's like to make bets at bars and have terrible dates and fill my wine glass up to the brim after a hard day. I too have friends who would order two pizzas for dinner and drink margaritas at girls night and stay outside wrestling for a football because they are THAT serious about winning. Both of those shows are at set at a time where each person is trying to figure out what the hell is going on in their lives, but really, they are already living the best times of their life. Right now.
So yes, I will write about my random life because everyone needs to be reminded that the future will come, someday you will become the person you want to be, but right now is the perfect time to love what we have going on because someday we won't have this anymore. Right now I live in an amazing city in a house with my friends and I have a job downtown with an incredible boss. I exercise and explore and eat yummy food and drink delicious drinks and party with all sorts of friends and spend fun times with my family, and I think that is all worth sharing. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy experiencing it. Now, I'm about to go eat some yummy tacos so actually this is one instance that my experiencing it and your reading about it will probably not be equal, and to avoid creating any further jealousy I'll just leave it at that!
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