Writing - It’s in my blood. Is it in yours?

Since I started writing this blog, I’ve heard several comments questioning my sanity. Why would I do such a thing with such a busy life? Why add the extra stress? Why? Why? Why? My initial response - that writing the blog is fun - didn’t seem to be an adequate response. So I starting thinking … why AM I doing this? The answer is simple: It’s in my blood. Why on earth would I think that? Well, there are many hints - some too big to ignore.

For many years, my mother, Shirley Olene, wrote a column in the Princeton Union Eagle titled Shirley’s Sampler. Once she retired, that column became Shirley’s Second Sampler which she wrote for the Senior Federation. She wrote on what ever came to mind - family history, the grandchildren, past times. She included stories and poems written by other relatives (another hint). Her writing was also evidenced during WWII, when she wrote a letter every day to my Dad who was overseas. It did not matter that often he was often in transit or under war conditions and couldn’t receive mail. She still wrote the letter and put it in a box. Also in the box were letters from my Dad to her. He, too, wrote often. I have that box of letters - and guess what I found in it? – a poem that my Dad wrote to my Mom. Most folks that knew my Dad would find that pretty unbelievable. Another hint.

My brother, Kevin Olene, published his book The Day After the Night Before in 2011. Kevin fully admits that he was influenced to write by our mother. My brother,Ron Olene, has written many stories about the races for Hawkeye Racing, All the Dirt, and Checkered Flag, More hints.

Most of my relatives think I am a journalist. They have no idea what a city planner does. Perhaps they just expected me to me like my mother. In a way I am - this blog acts as the modern day equivalent to a newspaper column.

I think this quote sums it up best:

The greatest part of a writer’s time is spent in reading, in order to write; a man (or in this case, a woman) will turn over half a library to make one book. Samuel Johnson

And, as you may know from my first blog Not at all Predictable, I love to read. So why not write. Think about it … maybe you should be writing.