Mental Chillness?

I used to think it was the low-carb diet that shifted my metabolism into the most efficient fat-burning mode of my life. I gave Dr. Atkins (may he rest in peace) the credit for my sixty-pound loss, and for the renewed vigor that gave me the strength to commit to the writing life.

Now I see the writing came first, and then the weight loss. And that the loss may not have come from a sugar-free lifestyle at all, but rather from a-hopefully-curable ailment called Lamott's Syndrome.

Named for its neurotic founder, writer Anne Lamott, Lamott's Syndrome is a condition which manifests itself in the aerobic activity of getting up and down from one's chair after the writing of every two words, give or take a couple.

It involves obsessive sink scouring, stain pre-treating, junk drawer organizing, suspicious-mole checking, and any other avoidance behavior known to writerkind, along with whatever self-bribery it takes to get back to the desk after these energetic spurts of non-writing.

And don't underestimate the calorie-burning capacity of the accompanying guilt, self-doubt, self-flaggellation, and beating oneself up coming and going. Believe me, it adds up.

I'll stick with the diet for sure. If I happen to put on a few pounds, though, you'll know it's because I finally succeeded in giving up the exercise.

Posted by Katy on 05/01/03 at 08:23 AM

Fallible Comments...

i love that you put "suspicious-mole checking." (i like anne lamott, too.)
-----
Posted by kari on 05/01/03 at 01:37 PM
the same dynamic works in my prayer life at times...the everflow of everything from meaningless drivel to what might be brilliance itself seeping into every space that might give attention to communimg with the Almighty. a wise pastor once suggested to me keeping a pad and paper next to me while attempting quiet times (he often found himself out back watering the garden when he thought he had sat down for some bible reading). and ah...anne lamott. on the flipside she has said that before she had her son, she couldn't write if there were dishes in the sink - now, she could write if there were a corpse in the sink.
Posted by lisa on 05/02/03 at 08:59 AM
kari, I can't claim the suspicious mole. I'm sure Anne said it first. Phooey! Lisa, Yes. Corpses don't bother me nearly as much as they used to! Hey, I finally got the documentary on Lamott, and loved it. OK, I'll admit I didn't love the part where Anne performs a wedding for the two gay guys, I admit it. (Maybe I'm just old.) Also got a 2-audio set from a writer's conference. Lots restated from Bird by Bird, but still wonderful.
Posted by katy on 05/02/03 at 09:33 AM
Bet, Now that's disappointing...when I see you next, I'll loan you mine!
Posted by katy on 05/02/03 at 11:21 AM
i know katy...though i had many, many close gay friends in my b.c. days of chicago theatre/clubbing...i just can't quite put the two and two together of it these days, and that part bothered me a bit. not because i'm afraid of gay people, but because i don't believe they're living in the peace that only christ can give. and yes, a lot of anne ideas get restated...but i'm loyal, and they're great nontheless :)
Posted by lisa on 05/02/03 at 02:53 PM
that lamott documentary thing was supposed to be on pbs here the other day...instead it was some old guy talking about a law or something. grr.
Posted by bethany on 05/02/03 at 07:07 PM
ooo the documentary! great representation of annie (love the part w/ her and her mum. and charles shultz. and beautiful, saucer-eyed sam). you can purchase it online. i did that a couple years ago. fyi. katy, thank you for your reminders of the writing/health life. you're the bestest.
Posted by annie on 05/03/03 at 10:04 AM
i just love anne lamott's stories about moles, especially the one in traveling mercies. hehehehehe.
Posted by kari on 05/03/03 at 05:54 PM

Page 1 of 1 pages

Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.

Next entry: The Hearing Earring

Previous entry: Tiny Difficulty

<< Back to main


		more fallible attitude »

Personal blog of christian writer & fallible mom Katy McKenna Raymond in Kansas City, Missouri Katy is represented by Greg Johnson at WordServe Literary Read more Katy at LateBoomer.net Follow Katy on Twitter Follow Katy on Facebook 123 Recent Posts Try Becoming Brenda Starr Off Beat Scattered That’s It So I’ve Finally Signed With An Agent. Now What? The Spoon Sciatica Sweetheart A Woman’s Train of Thought Has No Caboose However much we own, we are all still living on borrowed time After all, when restaurants shrink portions, they don’t shrink prices. As with everything in life, balance is key. Slow down, you move too fast… Yeah, I know. I have issues. Search Advanced Search Syndicate Login E me at katy @ ngenius.com	Mental Chillness? I used to think it was the low-carb diet that shifted my metabolism into the most efficient fat-burning mode of my life. I gave Dr. Atkins (may he rest in peace) the credit for my sixty-pound loss, and for the renewed vigor that gave me the strength to commit to the writing life. Now I see the writing came first, and then the weight loss. And that the loss may not have come from a sugar-free lifestyle at all, but rather from a-hopefully-curable ailment called Lamott's Syndrome. Named for its neurotic founder, writer Anne Lamott, Lamott's Syndrome is a condition which manifests itself in the aerobic activity of getting up and down from one's chair after the writing of every two words, give or take a couple. It involves obsessive sink scouring, stain pre-treating, junk drawer organizing, suspicious-mole checking, and any other avoidance behavior known to writerkind, along with whatever self-bribery it takes to get back to the desk after these energetic spurts of non-writing. And don't underestimate the calorie-burning capacity of the accompanying guilt, self-doubt, self-flaggellation, and beating oneself up coming and going. Believe me, it adds up. I'll stick with the diet for sure. If I happen to put on a few pounds, though, you'll know it's because I finally succeeded in giving up the exercise. Posted by Katy on 05/01/03 at 08:23 AM Fallible Comments... i love that you put "suspicious-mole checking." (i like anne lamott, too.) ----- Posted by kari on 05/01/03 at 01:37 PM the same dynamic works in my prayer life at times...the everflow of everything from meaningless drivel to what might be brilliance itself seeping into every space that might give attention to communimg with the Almighty. a wise pastor once suggested to me keeping a pad and paper next to me while attempting quiet times (he often found himself out back watering the garden when he thought he had sat down for some bible reading). and ah...anne lamott. on the flipside she has said that before she had her son, she couldn't write if there were dishes in the sink - now, she could write if there were a corpse in the sink. Posted by lisa on 05/02/03 at 08:59 AM kari, I can't claim the suspicious mole. I'm sure Anne said it first. Phooey!<br><br>Lisa, Yes. Corpses don't bother me nearly as much as they used to! Hey, I finally got the documentary on Lamott, and loved it. OK, I'll admit I didn't love the part where Anne performs a wedding for the two gay guys, I admit it. (Maybe I'm just old.) Also got a 2-audio set from a writer's conference. Lots restated from Bird by Bird, but still wonderful. Posted by katy on 05/02/03 at 09:33 AM Bet, Now that's disappointing...when I see you next, I'll loan you mine! Posted by katy on 05/02/03 at 11:21 AM i know katy...though i had many, many close gay friends in my b.c. days of chicago theatre/clubbing...i just can't quite put the two and two together of it these days, and that part bothered me a bit. not because i'm afraid of gay people, but because i don't believe they're living in the peace that only christ can give. and yes, a lot of anne ideas get restated...but i'm loyal, and they're great nontheless :) Posted by lisa on 05/02/03 at 02:53 PM that lamott documentary thing was supposed to be on pbs here the other day...instead it was some old guy talking about a law or something. grr. Posted by bethany on 05/02/03 at 07:07 PM ooo the documentary! great representation of annie (love the part w/ her and her mum. and charles shultz. and beautiful, saucer-eyed sam). you can purchase it online. i did that a couple years ago. fyi.<br><br>katy, thank you for your reminders of the writing/health life.<br><br>you're the bestest. Posted by annie on 05/03/03 at 10:04 AM i just love anne lamott's stories about moles, especially the one in traveling mercies. hehehehehe. Posted by kari on 05/03/03 at 05:54 PM Page 1 of 1 pages Commenting is not available in this weblog entry. Next entry: The Hearing Earring Previous entry: Tiny Difficulty << Back to main


copyright 2011, ngenius media inc.

Personal blog of christianwriter & fallible momKaty McKenna Raymondin Kansas City, Missouri

Recent Posts

Search

Syndicate

Mental Chillness?

Personal blog of christian
writer & fallible mom
Katy McKenna Raymond
in Kansas City, Missouri