This September is proving to be a “terrifying” month for writing!
Here are three reasons why.
#1 “Terrifying” Exam Season
First, I have to devote more time now to give, mark and monitor homework for my youngest very closely. This is in the lead-up to his national exams at the end of the month. Not fun, as he regularly reminds me, while completing the different practice papers the school gave us. (Well son, it isn’t exactly a lark for your dad either!)
With my son, it’s always a challenge to administer homework because he’s not the most cooperative. Especially when it comes to writing his answers legibly. Admittedly he struggles with penmanship due to his weak fine motor skills. So deciphering his answers can be extremely frustrating after a while. That and his constant whining.
Leaving me this month with not much time (and energy) to ideate for writing.
#2 “Terrifying” Lazy Season
Second, I’m actually in between teaching semesters which means suddenly I’ve more free time than I’m used to. And so I do what many writers do (apologies to the writing fraternity for exposing this skeleton in our collective closet!) — I dawdle and procrastinate to do things like ideate and write.
I also postpone doing stuff around the house that needs doing (like planning and packing for our move to a new home early next year), and for the family (arranging transportation and other logistics for our holiday in December). Instead I am “busy” binge-watching Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, … you name it!
Not exactly exercising discipline with my time am I?
#3 “Terrifying” / Terrific Meeting Season
Third, I fill up my time with meeting various people. People like the fathers in my stay-home dad community. In particular many of those who joined the community after we were profiled in a major local daily’s exclusive feature.
My purpose as one of the leads in the community is to connect and get to know them better, hence the many meetings.
And it’s this last part that’s become the most inspiring, most terrific, but also the most terrifying for me this month as a writer!
Let me explain.
Amazing Tales From Amazing Dads
Each father I meet, especially when it’s just one-to-one, confirms for me again and again the power of story. Every one of them has a tale to tell that I feel would be such a waste not to.
Like the young man who knew when he became a dad that he wanted to be a stay home one. (Actually there’s more than one such dad!)
Or the single dad who isn’t a citizen here but had an employment pass until his employer closed down the department and he found himself jobless yet needing to stay here as his son is happily schooling. That meant that he, left with nothing more than a social visit pass, has to exit our borders every 30 days and re-enter (which isn’t always a guarantee) in order to continue taking care of his 17 year old.
How about the 81 year old dad (the oldest in our community) who has two daughters, 12 and 13 years of age, from his second marriage? Just the age gap alone is an intriguing story waiting to be told!
Inspiring But Terrifying To Behold
All this to say that when my calendar of appointments gets filled up the way I’ve just described, where lies the time to write?!
Yet it’s clear there are untold stories just floating around, waiting to be shared. Waiting for their time in the spotlight so others may be inspired like I have when I first came across them.
The other day I was sharing with another dad my thoughts about penning an anthology book that details these wonderful tales from these wonderful dads I’ve gotten to know. But the sheer enormity of the task isn’t lost on me and I wonder what I can do to squelch my panic and instead hunker down to devise a plan.
For as inspiring as these stories are, it’s terrifying for me to imagine trying to write them. I would hate to fail at the task and dishonour their accounts which they so kindly and generously shared with me. Yet I relish the opportunity to play journalist and documentarist. To forever capture these narratives in words immortalised on page after page of encouragement for the many parents out there.
Perhaps it’s time, as “inspired” by a recent article I read on how AI helped some seniors tell their tales in rapid time, to employ technology to make this endeavour less daunting, less terrifying?
I don’t know yet.
What do you think?
