Drafting

I received a friendly email notification at work the other day that my mailbox was over the limit and I needed to reduce immediately or else. Oh no, I might not get some work related email, just tragic. Nevertheless, I had no choice, I must clean out my mailbox.

After deleting all my unread email I didn't care to look at, I went to my 'Drafts' folder where I found several dozen half-completed blog entries. I must start up a blog entry at least once a week. They are usually spurred by something ridiculous that just happened near or around me at work. (I work at a state agency so I'm sure you can vaguely imagine at least some of the ridiculousness I face daily.) I've written random short stories, interesting observations, long rants, fond memories or just a tidbit of new wisdom that hit me that very moment. One thing is the same, they remain there in drafts, unfinished, unpublished.

I re-read them all. I laughed, got a little angry, chuckled mischievously, and I even got a little choked up (some are rather touching, yeah, I'm that good). I thought to myself why didn't I finish and post any of these for someone to enjoy even if that someone was me? I don't have a good answer. They are just drafts, brief bursts of expressed emotion with no real conclusion.

It occurred to me, while reading my awesome drafts, that my life is too much like this folder. I have moments of grand intentions or tempting dreams, bursts of passion and excitement and moments of clarity and insight. I'm going to travel the world, start a business, begin another graduate program, solve the world problems, get married, buy a new car, write a novel, or be a millionaire and yet they sit, never completed, just drafts. Why? They do no one any good there, just clutter. I certainly don't want to get one of those "taking up too much space on earth, must delete" messages any time soon.

As it goes, with this discovery, it is now time to clean out my drafts and make room...for other things, bigger things, better things. This weekend I will finish my first draft - I'm going to Ireland. Not just to return to my adopted roots (turns out, I can only claim to have the national hair color) or see a new part of the world, but to live out one of my dreams and finish something I started a long time ago.

Don't worry, this will not be the only finished draft from me, I have plenty more. Stay tuned...