We'll Hang up Our Pens Someday

Recently, Pat Buchanan said he was retiring his long running column. This blog is beyond the scope of politics, so I'm not interested in discussing Pat's stances one way or the other. I'm interested in this angle: We writers, regardless of our stripes, will someday hung up our pens. 

We will someday write the last book, last blog, last technical documentation, the last copy, the last whatever we do. We will all someday write our last word. 

If you say, I'm not hanging up my pen ever, well you don't have a choice. There might come a day where you're no longer able to write or you'll draw your last breath. In any case, you'll be hanging up your pen.

The reality is our writing pursuits and career have an expiration date. But we don't have to dread this impending end. If anything, it should give us more focus to write, since we only have so much time. One thing we can stop because it's an emotional waste of time is self-wallowing. You never be good as any other writer because you can't. All of us are different. Comparing each other doesn't go anywhere. So, don't do it! Also, if you keep talking about writing but don't write, then you need to make a decision. Is writing important to you? If so, write. If not, move on to something else. Writing isn't a glamorous pursuit. It's a hard road. To me, for now, it's worth it.

Finally, when we write we need to decide why we are writing. What's our focus and why. What's your passion? For me, I like technical writing because I like to help others and I want to bring glory to God through it. I'm planning to do this until God calls me to do otherwise, He returns, or I draw my last breath. While I still can, I want create the best documentation that I know how. 

So, write while you still can and know why you do it. We'll all have to hung up our pens, so make it count.