Does this hit a chord. Been going through something similar Eric, with a few more wrinkles.

As you know, I suffered some sort of a stroke a few months ago amongst other medical problems. Although I make it a point to keep myself busy, I've been off work and may be for another year or more.

Which has only served created other problems - most importantly financial.

Just recently I took a few days holiday camping, and came back feeling relaxed and healed. Writing on a day-to-day basis takes its toll and we all need periodical breaks from ourselves, our lives and our brains.

Take time to slow down and smell the roses, ponder deeper thoughts and get in sync with your soul.

Thanks for the post brother and be kind to yourself.

It must be the time of year or something, as I too have taken an extended break (using it as the opportunity to shed my old site like a snake does skin) and after a couple months off, I'm now in the beginning stages of almost being nearly ready to start thinking about approaching a jumping off point for the start of a new site (whew . . . !) Besides, with a new site, I can re-tell all my old stories to a new bunch of people. ;-)

Thanks BB and Tom, I think it happens to most of us from time to time - I didn't even realize what was going on until I didn't feel all revved and inspired to crank out the material when I got back from our first trip. But the light at the end of the tunnel seems about ready to smack me in the face.

And I can certainly relate to issues on the financial side of things - best wishes, BB

Ever since my wife gathered all the roses from her mother's funeral and sent them to be dried by nuns at a nunnery who roll the petals into pellets and stuff them into intricate silver bead-holders that link together to make a rosary that reeks of roses forever... ever since, when somebody says they've got to stop and smell the roses, I get all these weird Catholic images dissolving through my mind. So just ignore that.

By "smelling the roses," you mean living.

A Buddhist would say you're tasting the strawberry.

My problem, as you can see, is I smell too much.

Eric, I was so happy to read this post. Your output always astonished me, and though many of your posts have been signposts to interesting places, you consistently sent me to interesting places, and there's real value in that. It's a skill, a method, a way, and it's teachable, and I think you taught it.

And I think you're right to move on to higher ground. You're an excellent writer and it's high time you caught the shroud in your bathtub, and no, it's not weird, it's wonderful.

Your bigger talent is writing, and it's your turn. Forgive yourself and grow to a bigger container. Doing less is much more, which has been said better by others and with fewer words.

The other reason to write fewer better posts is it will make you a better leader, which is what's required now.

If you wrote a single weekly post, showcased on screen one, your thoughts might have twice the impact. Of course it might require three times the effort...

Ah, writing. Welcome back, Eric, to the "real world" as you define it, for once.

Curt

And btw... before anybody else says it... you're a jolly good fallow, Eric, which nobody can deny.

thanks Curt, I appreciate it deeply; AND, it takes one to know one. We all get in routines, but I think you are probably right about where my focus should be (and you are alos right that it is harder). Thanks again!

Eric, this was a wonderful post, and The Duke can relate to a large extent. Don't give yourself a hard time, man. Something like this once a whenever is a thought to hold tight to ones bossum. I mean, shit, i'd rather read your stuff than most of whats on the web-net (except this site by some foul-mouthed sonna bitch called The Mondo Ireland or something), and if takes a time for to get the juices flowing again, then i'm 100% supportive of that particular juice-flowing hiatus.
In other words, who the hell else could write a post about not writing posts and make it so evocative and touching? Who? Exactly, just The Duke, and he hasn't got time at the minute.
You're a brilliant writer, Eric, and The Duke is in awe of you on occasion, is the embaressing truth of the matter.
This was wonderful.

thanks Duker, your thoughts are very kind and much appreciated. It's pretty terrific to have a forum where I CAN coast for a while, while so many others generate so much great stuff, but it's time to pull my own weight again.

Thanks again!