I've returned to "my" Starbucks.

After a multiweek absence, I've resumed using a local Starbucks as my office. A few weeks ago, I decided to turn a vacant room in my house into a home office. Within a few days, a guy at church had asked me about the possibility of renting my empty room. After some words of wisdom from my girlfriend, I decided I would sacrifice the home office. With the new roommate's arrival just a couple weeks away, I figured I should get back into the habit of working from Starbucks.

Apparently, I'm one of the "Norms" for this location. They still remembered the details of the drink I buy (venti unsweetened iced green tea, with 5 splendas), and I feel right at home once again. For three days straight, "my" spot has even been open. Sweet!

Editing vs Writing

“I’m an editor who writes.”

That thought occurred to me Tuesday while sitting on airplane, reading a book. I’m not really a writer (even though deep down inside of me, I somehow feel it’s a nobler calling than editing). I think I’m a stronger editor who also happens to write well. But I feel more drawn to editing than writing. Those statements might surprise a few friends and former colleagues.

I don’t always feel like writing. Yes, I’ve heard and read plenty of writers who say they don’t often “feel” like writing but they force themselves to do it, anyway. I believe them. Sometimes I don’t feel like editing. Attempting to decipher a confusing thought or sentence and make it palpable – it can be as joyful as anticipating a trip to the dentist’s office. The joy, of course, is found in the final product.

There’s also joy in the process. Being an editor sometimes feels like working on a puzzle. You take this piece and that piece and shuffle these other pieces and twist this piece and clean up that piece – maybe you get the idea. This word feels wrong, but that word communicates the writer’s intent more clearly. This sentence is too long. Would you ever say it the way you just wrote it? What are you attempting to convey here? Why are you so attached to the word “very”? Seriously, you don't know what a compound modifier is?

The funny thing about being an editor is that you aren’t really working with your own words or ideas. Your job is to take someone else’s words and ideas and make them stronger, clearer, more effective. Sometimes I get a project where I need to add some “original” writing, but that’s the exception, not the rule. These days, my life revolves around helping other people communicate more effectively. And I’m OK with that.

Joys and pains of writing.

I'm the first to admit that I'm a word geek. Yes, I'm a geek in other ways (and for a few months of my life I was a Greek, but that's a different story), but my greatest geekiness is found in the area of words.

If you regularly visit this blog, you know I've written very little over the last couple of months. The silence fascinates me more than it fascinates you, because I enjoy writing, I love words, and I'm always full of thoughts and opinions.

Last week in Oregon I did more journaling and writing, which seems to have unleashed a desire to write again. I regularly use twitter (see the top right corner of my blog for recent updates), which I find to be an awesome form of micro-blogging.

Anyway, I guess this is my declaration of intent: I intend to write here more frequently, and to reactivate other areas of writing in my life.

It's really hot here in Indy.

Ugh. Warm and muggy. I hate this weather. Seriously. I don't just dislike it, or have strongly negative feelings toward it. I really, truly, honestly hate muggy weather. Yes. Hate.

I'm back here in Indianapolis for a week for my denomination's General Council meetings. These happen every two years and we meet in a different city each time. Because we always meet in early August and we usually congregate in the Midwest or East, the weather typically is miserable.

Indy is no exception. Highs have been in the 90s with high humidity. When I got picked up Monday at the airport by college buddy Josh Wellborn, we went to the store to buy some snackage. Getting out of his air conditioned van, my glasses steamed up because of how warm and muggy it was outside. Yuck.

But I'll make it through, thanks to all the water I'll drink and all the time I'll spend indoors. I cover the business sessions for the daily newspaper produced by the public relations office, so this isn't a vacation week. My senior pastor is awesome, that he allows me to do this every two years; it's a fun opportunity and a great chance to see old college friends, former employers and co-workers, and even a relative or two.

Not sure how much I'll be posting from the various sessions. My main focus is writing articles, so the blog writing will take a backseat. But I might be able to catch up in slower moments and share some of the highlights from workshops and business sessions. We'll see!