On Low Hanging Fruit

I’ve learned a lot from writing essays every week for the past three years. First off, I’ve learned that the procrastination that I considered my calling card from the time I was a wee child just doesn’t hit the same way it used to. Now, like some kind of old fart, I write my essays a week ahead of time, I give myself plenty of opportunities to reread them, rewrite them, and spellcheck them (seriously, without spellcheck I think my writing would be borderline unintelligible). Another thing I’ve learned from this whole process is how to really just sit down, grip it (the keyboard) and rip it (the essay). I don’t worry about the quality of my writing when I start, I don’t worry about if it flows or if it makes sense. Just get something down and move on because nothing is written in stone. The third thing I’ve learned from the nearly 170 essays I’ve written, and the point of this one, is how hard it’s becoming to find topics to write about that tickle my fancy.

When I started this Substack, the ideas for essays seemed to jump out at me like popcorn trying to escape the pot. I could write about Walking to the Liquor Store for Candy, or Leftovers, or Hanging out with a Dog, or Drinking Water in the Middle of the Night. The possibilities were endless. I’d write about those weird little thoughts that pop into your head right before you fall asleep at night…but as I picked those low-hanging fruits every single week, I started having to reach higher and higher up the tree. I’d write about politics from time to time, I’d write about my physical ailments, I’d write about my own struggles with mental health.

I learned a lot about myself and my writing style when I couldn’t fall back on a comical essay about being Hungover, because I’d done it two years prior. I found myself more dependent on going out into the world for my experiences or digging deeper into my own mind and feelings for topics. The days of skimming off the top were over, no longer could I write about staring out the window and Watching the World Go By.

As the easy topics dried up, I learned how important it was for me to write about things I was passionate about or things that I felt deeply about. I learned how much people appreciated when I was vulnerable and when I was honest about my emotions. Sure, people get a kick out of it when you gripe about getting a Parking Ticket, but it definitely doesn’t resonate with them the same as when you write about how anxious you are about the future during a months-long Strike, or speak from the heart about a loved one that has passed.

With all this in mind, I’m going to keep trying to write silly essays about my feelings on the insane amount of political spam texts we get or how the biggest test of your relationship’s strength is putting together new furniture, but I’m also going to try to keep digging deep and writing about things that make me scared or sad or truly happy. And for those weeks in between, I’m always interested in hearing your ideas for topics!

So, do you have any topics you think I should write about? Leave me a comment below!