Respectfully, Mr. King, I Disagree

ready to slide

photo by Purple Sky Photo

More than fifteen bottles of nail polish languish in my make-up drawer: shell pink, tangerine, a metallic teal that stained my toenails for months.  Used a time or two before being forgotten.

My gaze wanders to our mantle, mentally redesigning the space.

I flip through running magazines looking for new workouts and training plans.

So when the Write On Edge prompt presented itself this week, I hesitated and considered calling it a night without a post scheduled for the morning.

In “On Writing” Stephen King wrote, “The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better.”

Disagreeing with the prolific Stephen King seems ridiculous.  His success is legendary, his path paved with best sellers and respect and ownership of his genre.

My path is unsure, a hill obscuring what is next.

And there are moments I agree with his statement.

I hesitate before throwing aside warm blankets on a cold morning; I shrink from jumping into Lake Michigan at the beginning of the summer, the water still chilled, waiting to be warmed by months of sun.

But bigger moments?  Realizing I was ready to get married? Choosing a new career path?  Starting a family?

Those moments don’t scare me.  I relish the planning, the anticipation, the adrenaline of putting my plan in motion. 

Follow through is what brings the fear. 

What if I made the wrong choice?

Why was I entrusted with the two most amazing creatures on the planet?

Am I crazy to think I’m capable of that? 

Stephen King might have a problem getting into a plane to skydive, but my doubts creep in after I’ve leapt into the sky, as I’m spiraling to the ground.

I can only pray that my parachute catches the wind on the way down.

the prompt:

In “On Writing” Stephen King wrote, “The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better.”

Write a memoir post – first-person and true – inspired by that statement.

Word limit is 300.

And while we’re talking Stephen King, don’t forget! The first Read on Edge tweetchat will be Wednesday, October 19th! Happy reading and writing!