There is no post today. I understand that seems unlikely since you are indeed, at this very moment, reading a post. But ... trust me. There is no post today.
I know this because yesterday, when I was supposed to be writing today's post, I sat at my desk staring out the window. All day. For like 12 hours. Occasionally I'd let my eyes drop and I'd stare at my boots for a change of scenery. It was terrible.
Let me explain a bit about how I work, and how most bloggers work. You have a calendar and you have post ideas written down for the future. I personally have a month's worth of post ideas scheduled in advance. So at the beginning of the month I know exactly what I'm going to be writing about for the entire month.
This eliminates the stress of OMGWHATAMIGOINGTOWRITEABOUT. Which is an official disorder according to the Medical Association of Bloggers and University Students. Treatment varies but ranges from doing 16 consecutive loads of laundry to attending a kegger.
So I had all my post ideas written on my calendar but for some reason today's post was missing. I had nothing written down. No scribbles, no ideas, nothing, all I had was a big, fat blank square and the feeling of impending doom that goes with it.
So I stared out the window. A couple of times I took a break from my intensive window staring to walk around and check my sap buckets, talk to some neighbours, and then I got back to my window staring. Every once in a while I'd swivel towards my computer determined to think of something to write about. I don't know if you've ever tried to force yourself to come up with an idea but it's kind of like forcing yourself to poop if you're constipated. You can try all you want but nothing is going to come out.
In desperation I typed into the Google bar ... what can I write about? This brought up a litany of posts from other bloggers with ideas on what to write about! I kicked my heels off of the desk, planted them firmly on the ground and got to reading. Somewhere in between the suggestions of "Write about what you had for lunch" and the very popular "Write about something you know about", I branched off into YouTube videos of cats doing weird cat things. Somehow that led me to this fun little life tip.
I want you to go to Google right now. In the search bar type "do a barrel roll". But don't put the quotation marks in it. I just added those so you knew what I wanted you to type. Go ahead, do it now before you forget.
I can't say I was instantly cured of my writer's block but I did feel mildly queasy which was a fun change the feeling of impending doom.
I then headed to Instagram where I asked my followers if they had any ideas. They did. But I didn't feel like writing about any of them. I guess I just didn't feel like doing anything. So how did all of this turn out great?
At around 4:30 p.m. I finally decided to give up. That it just wasn't going to happen and I should just stop stressing about it. I really should have recognized the signs and given up hours earlier instead of wasting time getting nothing accomplished.
I put on my running shoes and tights, plugged in my earbuds and walked out the door. I ran. I ran and I ran and I ran like I've never run before. I've mentioned that I am a spectacularly bad runner. Either my legs feel like they're made of cast iron, or they tingle or I keep turning left so I'm never too far from home in case I suddenly get the desire to empty the dishwasher or paint my bedroom.
But not today. Not on this terrible day.
Instead, I trotted off at my usual pace, arthritic elderly tortoise, and felt pretty good. My standard run is 5 km. That is all my body wants to do and that's all my mind wants to do. By 3km I'm usually thinking about what shortcuts I can take to get home so I can make dinner and eat it all down.
What happened yesterday, on that terribly unproductive day was I ran longer and faster than I have ever run in my life. I had 3 personal bests. Fastest pace, longest duration and most kilometres. And it was easy. I could have kept running forever, but I stopped at 10 km because at the rate I was going I wasn't going to stop until I ended up on a shrimp boat in Alabama with Lieutenant Dan.
It was great. I felt great.
Somehow all the stars aligned. Something terrible turned into something great because I decided to stop fighting it and leave the terrible behind.
I hope you enjoyed today's non post where my epiphany for you was to literally run away from your problems.
You're welcome.
This post was originally published exactly 3 years ago. I still hate running.
→Follow me on Instagram where I often make a fool of myself←
CAROLYN m BUCK
Love the barrel roll! A friends 20 something yr old was bored with his current job, googled what should I do for a career. He quit his job and made bagels from a cart he built for 6 yrs till a bagel company bought him out. :)
Karen
LOL! That's a great story. ~ karen!
Kerry McBrayer, Atlanta GA
You go girl! Proud of you.
I’d have a bunch of reasons to not run six miles. Number 1, I think I saw snow outside your window. Y’all have that frostbite stuff up in Canada right?
So tell me, when you got to ten kilometers, did you call an Uber to get back home?
It’s Ok with me this was three-years-ago blog - I love that you’re into recycling!
And with my senior brain - it was new to me!
Karen
I went for a run in a blizzard once, and ran past a guy walking with his girlfriend who said "Holy shit, that's dedication" as I ran past. I yelled back, "Noooooo, it's stupidityyyyyyy". ~karen!
Victoria Andersson
Good for you! You have the Scandi work blood in you, a need to always be productive. It's hard to kick up your boots and just do nothing. Glad you did and it turned out to be a good run instead..
Have a good weekend!
Christie
We all need a day off once in a while! I’m exhausted just reading about all the stuff that you do! I think you should have had a Kegger with Betty!
Dan
Rest, relax, recuperate, regroup. No hurry, no pressure. You don't have a TV segment to air in 2 days. Feel free to borrow ideas from my Instructables.
You might start recycling your gardening posts. I am trying to get a community garden going in our village of 220+/-. Lots of people started or restarted gardening last year and I expect the surge to continue.
Keep up the good work. Inspiration and motivation.
Karen
Ohhhhh even when I'm not working I'm working, lol. ~ karen!
Linda J Howes-Smyth
Do a barrel roll, that was fun!
dirk
3 things. Kegger! Forest Gump! ...and this is great. I had no idea you planned that far ahead and congratulations on doing what needed to be done!
Colleen R
This is what life should be like. We’re always trying to meet deadlines. While there’s something to be said for structure, sometimes you just need to take more than a Kit-Kat break ;)
Karen
Andddd now I want a chocolate bar. ~ karen!
Carol
Run Forrest run!
Theresa
For shits and giggles I'm gonna send that barrel roll to everyone I can...just to see who throws up.
Teresa
Perhaps you are just embracing the idea of your new blog, “The Art of Doing Nothing”
That overheard conversation still cracks me up but there might be a bit of epiphany there too.
Karen
LOLOL! Oh that was the best.🤣 (insider Art of FUN Stuff joke for those who are confused). ~ karen!
Jane
“No problem is so big or so complicated that it can't be run away from!”
― Charles M. Schulz, The Complete Peanuts, 1959-1962
Laura Bart
I dreamed of Charles Schultz last night; just a few hours before reading your comment. (Cue the Twilight Zone theme song.) I grew up in Northern California, attending church with my family. Our pastor was an avid Peanuts fan. His sermons most often included the gist of a recent Peanuts comic strip from the San Francisco Chronicle. My Dad had a local Sunday afternoon TV show in which he visited and interviewed interesting folks from the area. One of his favorites was with Charles Schultz in Sonoma County. During this visit, Dad shared our Pastor's inclusion of the Peanuts Gang in the Sunday services. Next thing we knew, Dad was presenting Reverend Tritenbach with an illustration of Snoopy, on his back atop his doghouse with a caption written just for our Pastor John. Sweet. Recently I was wondering what happened to that drawing and the dream seed was planted. Maybe a very uninteresting remembrance for everyone, I just felt I should write now in case I had block later, make hay while the sun shines kind of thing?
Pam
Great story! Enjoyed it?
Pam
I meant to write, I enjoyed it!!
Pam
I meant to write, I enjoyed it!!
Pat
This reminds me of a Seinfeld show. A show about nothing.
Dawn Jorgensen
What was the show your Dad did? Was it a Bay Area station? I grew up in San Jose \Milpitas.
Do you have an of them? I'd love to see them! On YouTube.
This was in itself an incredibly informative article. We definitely needs to be reminded to focus on something different or just enjoy cats that are doing something cute, funny or adorable. Personally I love the dog ones! Especially Dobermans. Its fun to watch the smooth, elegant watchful dogs slip, collect themselves, look around to see if anyone saw then smoothly run on. Just one example.
I appreciate this article. Thank you.
Laura McEachern Bart
Hello Bay Area Dawn! My Dad's show was called "Community Circle" on KRON, the NBC affiliate in San Francisco. It was long ago, it started in 1958. He went by the name Lee Noble (his middle name), or Lee McEachern. We've never found any of those Sunday shows in any archives. He was also a DJ on their radio station as well as KFRC before it went rock & roll. He was a radio operator on aircraft in WWII and brought those skills to a career in Memphis, TN then to California. My two brothers followed in his big footsteps and have worked in SF television news, video production and now one is the host of the World Series of Poker on ESPN. One of Dad's grandsons does sound for all the Star Wars movies. I guess the apples really don't fall far from the tree! 🍎 Thanks for asking, that was fun to recall all of that.
Kat Bat
Okay, so the barrel roll made me nauseous, but walking across a room has the same effect, so... Everyone deserves a day off, and if you're feeling particularly unproductive on a particular day, so what? You have my permission. And we all know how important that is. LOL! My goal every day is to do nothing. I just haven't figured out how to make that happen. Maybe if I had a pair of really groovy boots to stare at...
Karen
Well yes! Incredibly important to get your permission. :) ~ karen!
Jane
I have noticed lately that alot of your posts are just repeats. Kind of disappointed as I enjoy your blog...why?
JOHN C. TRUEX
I just wanted to congratulate her for doing nothing yesterday ;-)
Ly
when you have nothing good to say, it’s good to say nothing
Therese
The last six days were not reposts.....
I started following Karen because she is funny. Smart. Not full of herself. She inspires me.
I am sure her artistic side needs a break at times.
I have not read all of her previous posts, and I happen to enjoy many of the reposts she puts out. I also enjoy reading most of the comments others make.
I am sorry you are disappointed but perhaps you will find another blog to fulfill your needs.
I hope Karen enjoyed her day off . t
Gigi
I have noticed the same thing. Guess that just means we have been with Karen a lonnnnnnnng time and have learned her arts already. Still enjoy the comment section even if I've read it all before. Karen is always good for a chuckle or two. I'll stick with her awhile longer.
Perhaps her new subscription blog is her new energy direction?
Mary W
I've been with her quite awhile and also enjoy the reposts. I'm so old that I forget I've read them, I enjoy them all over again, then start to reply and see my old reply (I read the comments for fun) and realize I had forgotten everything including my reply. Not only do I get a laugh with her writing, I get a double laugh at my memory. Being able to laugh at yourself should provide a life of merriment! My morning coffee is not the same when I don't have a Karen post to read.
Jacquie Gariano
I do that too. But it's OK. I enjoythe blog like it's new to me. I even buy books that I have read before, but don't notice til I;m well into te book. But since I can't remember the end, I finish the book anyway. It becomes a double treat. So, I believe also, "If you can't think of something to do, do nothing or read a good book over again....LOL
Karen
Some of the topics are repeated because the majority of readers are new. People come and go. So someone who wasn't here 3 or 4 years ago won't have seen any of the posts before that. With most posts (not this one) I completely rewrite, rephotograph and update them. I understand it seems like I just quickly repost something but reworking and republishing them takes just about as long as creating an entirely new one. Hope that explains it. ~ karen!
Kim Kelley
WHO are these people that you speak of? "People who come and go"??😖
Dawn Jorgensen
Me. I'm guilty. Fortunately I can still read when I can.
Dawn Jorgensen
Guilty of lurking occasionally. That means I'm one that needs the "repost.
Karen
:) See?! I knew there were many of you out there. Thanks Dawn! ~ karen
Joanne Lewis
loved the barrel roll!
Shirley
You didn’t say how your body felt the next day! If I did a 10 k run, I would have to spent the next day watching my feet poking up under the blankets!🥴
ly
Exactly what I was wondering??
Tate
Some times you have to just start and run by the roses.
Dawn Jorgensen
Love it! 😅😅
kimberly montgomery
I love this. --It's like your unconscious knew you were simply supposed to run that day. AND you were rewarded by not fighting it.
Karen
I never thought I'd think of running 10 K as a reward, lol, but I guess it was! ~ karen
Gaeyl
I believe that was the best you could do you restored and refreshed . Should'as and could'as some times need a chill out. So thumbs up from me.
Maureen Locke
That barrel roll just about did me in. I just stuffed my face with a huge roast beef dinner and wasn't prepared for that. Queasy much? I wish I could run, or walk, or do any kind of good for me exercise stuff. I'm just a lazy lump..... Tomorrow will be a better day :)