My son just entered into the ‘mom-only’ phase.  When it first began, I was totally flattered.  I’ve been relatively unpopular throughout life, so this sudden dose of household fame was initially a massive ego stroke.  But the price of being so wanted is that I now have very little time to accomplish all I’d like to get done. 

(I know. I should just eat it up; he’ll likely want nothing to do with me come puberty.) 

The upshot to being so short on personal time is that I’ve once again become hungry.  And in this songwriter’s world, hunger is a really good thing. 

As I look back on my life, all of my moxie has originated from the times that I’ve been lacking something. When I didn’t have much money to buy food, I worked hard to come up with my most creative gourmet meals.  When I didn’t have many friends, I scrambled to meet people by going to every event on every poster on every lamppost I saw. 

Now, without much time, I’m using every waking second to write songs.  I’m writing while I scrape tarpaper at the building. I’m writing while I take out the trash. I’m even writing in my dreams, which hasn’t happened in years.   

And I have my time-stealing baby to thank for it.  Thank you, son. You have single handedly made my muse ravenous for expression.  

And thank you, Reader, for continuing to check in on me. See you next Sunday. -Em