lollygag [lol-ee-gag]

To waste time by puttering aimlessly

Synonyms include: dawdle, loaf, loiter, tally

I love that term, "lollygagging." It's just such a fun word to speak, plus it sounds exactly like what it is...wasting time. It's not the most ideal state of mind and body to aspire to, but I find myself lollygagging more often than I'd like to admit. Sometimes it IS because I'm tired (that's called "rest), but other times, I'm just lazy and the thought of doing anything remotely resembling work just turns my psyche (not to mention my body) into lead!

I went to a writing seminar at UCLA this weekend. "What Kind of Writer Am I?" was the title of the course that walked 40 aspiring writers through the main arenas of written art: poetry, fiction, non-fiction, playwriting and screenwriting. Each one is a unique discpline, calling for various types of practices and skill; but one requirement remains constant if you want to succeed in any of it - COMMITMENT.

This (or lack of this) has been my downfall. I have dreams of becoming a published writer - a novelist, an essayist, maybe even a columnist for a widely-read publication, but I've made a phantom commitment to a dream I have yet to chase. I've busied myself with so many things, that I've simply lost track of what I used to fantasize about and how I used to plan I would make it mine.

What kind of writer am I?...A capable one...

What kind of writer do I want to be?...A committed one...