NaBloPoMo 2018 : Day 1: Ready?

I wake my laptop from sleep mode, go to D drive, click on the My Blog folder, and right click to create a new folder, but then, I stop.

Not because I’ve developed cold feet.

But because I’ve just noticed a folder titled “NaBloPoMo 2018” already exists.

I click on it and find I’ve already saved a document titled “Post Ideas.”

Right now, the document is empty.

As empty as my mind when I sat down to key in this first post for what has now become a ritual of sorts. National Blog Posting Month. One blog post every day. On each of the 30 days of November.

I’ve already done it twice before. Am attempting a hat trick here.

‘Don’t worry, you’ll get it done, even if you post at 11.58 pm,’ an inner voice gloats.

‘You have a maid now, so you’ll not be as busy as last time,’ it reminds.

‘And remember, you promised to keep each post to less than 400 words – child’s play for a lecturer,” it encourages.

‘You went around taking consent from people to send them links to your posts. As if you’re some star writer they better not miss reading. So, you’d better produce something really valuable and useful for them,’ says another voice, playing the devil’s advocate.

‘Remember how some readers asked you what you’ll be blogging about? You haven’t yet found the answers’, it reminds.

I drown out the cacophony by taking one deep breath. And another. And another. Because magic is related to the number 3? Because I’m hoping to be third time lucky?

But then, I realize, I’m forever lucky. How many non-celebrity writers can send a simple request on WhatsApp and have 150 readers respond with a “YES”?

My eyes grow moist with gratitude. For God has blessed me with a set of readers who see value in my writing. Some of them reply and I’m happy to interact; some don’t, but it doesn’t change anything, because I understand what holds them up – no time or no words to express – and it’s perfectly fine.

“Anuuuu!!!” roars another voice. Not in my head but in the real world. It wants lunch. Noticing the vacant look on my face as I serve, it mellows down and says, “Oh, it’s your writing month.”

Thank you, dear readers, for joining me on this journey. Let’s see where it takes us !