101 Reasons to Stop Writing

101 Reasons to Stop Writing (now moved over from their old digs on Blogspot) has an interesting essay on the fear of success entitled Clarion or Flatulence. I read 101 Reasons because it serves as a kind of Devil's Advocate to the urges of my ego--perhaps I have no business trying my hand at writing, and if I find a reason there that I can't overcome, I'll try something else. Lord knows, I don't want to be a security guard forever--just thinking about the future these days causes the lines from "This Is Your Life by Tyler Durden" to run over and over through my head:

This is your life,
Good to the last drop.
This is your life
and it's ending one minute at a time.

The dragons of despair and defeat lie in that direction. No, thank you, but no. That isn't my path. But I'm also not getting any younger, and--now, more than ever--wasting time is something to avoid.

The other reason I read 101 Reasons? Because it's all wonderfully black humor, full of sarcasm and wit, and it appeals to my own inner curmudgeon. The best line of the piece is: "This is why I’m firmly in favor of these excuses, because every excuse is the universe’s way of bopping the wannabe in the head and screaming 'The power of Darwin compels you!' ". Absolutely priceless.

Sabato

Sabato.

Was there ever so surreal a Western as Sabato?

Christian Bale, Russel Crowe, have you considered?

See it, and consider the possibilities.