I’m not afraid to say it: I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired. But at the same time, I’m also rejoicing in the fact that I’m sick. Maybe that just goes to show how really unwell I am.
Seriously though, feeling like crap and not sleeping has given me story ideas. In fact, when I told one of the stories I had thought of, my wife laughed out loud. Since that was the intended outcome I thought that was a good thing.
It has also given me more insight into what it means to be sick. We’ve all been there, I expect, but as soon as we are well again, all is forgotten. But what about those people who are never completely well or people who don’t have the option of seeing the doctor, taking their medication and sleeping off whatever ails them? How do they deal with illness?
Granted, I wasn’t dying and I was able to take a couple days of sick leave. That gave me time to read and think. That’s where the insight came in.
I started playing the lives of different characters through my head, trying to picture what a day of sickness would be like for each. I realized how lucky I have it and how two-dimensional some of my characters have been. That new perspective will be put to work when I do my next rewrite.
I also got several new story ideas, some humorous, some serious. One of the humorous short stories (the one I told my wife) has been written as part of my 30 in 30 self-challenge. Now, I’ll let it sit and age for a while. Then I’ll edit it with an eye towards finding a publisher.
Now before you all go running out to the Doctor’s Office and start asking people to cough on you I do need to point out something: being sick royally sucks, it really does. All I’m doing is trying to spin this into something positive and it has been. I’ve been able to further hone my craft and the fact that my family loves me has been re-enforced in spades.
What more could I ask for? Well… except to not be sick, that is.
30 in 30 Update
- March 13: Dungeons and Dragons Words: 6
- March 14: Departure Words: 975
- March 15: The Move Words: 6
- March 16: Save Money, Die Better Words: 598
- March 17: Wii Come in Peace Words: 728
- March 18: A Bad Invasion Day Words: 234
- March 19: The End of the Journey Words: 6
Final Note: Yes, Aaron, I know you used Adversity as part of your title yesterday too. Why can’t we all just be friends 
