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Nash, Edith / Practice the here and now: selected writings of Edith Nash
(2001)
Nash, Edith
Why women write, p. 66
Page 66
Why Women Write Why do I write — why do I breathe, walk, speak, and eat? To stay alive, to think, to look out, to be. I used to say I was writing about my life to find out what happened but I no longer say that. I don't care as much as I used to whether I am remembering episodes that really happened or repeating the stories I have heard, or made up for myself about these episodes. I used to think of my life as stretching out ahead of me, almost to infinity. It seemed an endless journey full of anguish, trials, disappointments, conflict, and struggle. I thought I would never arrive at a destination. Recently I have been planning my 88th birthday celebration. I settled on a picnic outdoors at our cottage on the river, similar to the ~ of July celebration we have often had. We cook a haunch of venison on the fire, sometimes swim or take a boat ride on the river, and retreat to the gazebo if mosquitoes emerge at dusk. The planning of the birthday made me realize the journey will end — not just now, but in a while — maybe a few years down the road — (my mother died at 89) — my daughters V think I might last another 10 or more. Of course I may dieV. ~ tomorrow — people die every day. But I feel unbelievably well, satisfied with myself — because the end of it allis in sight. The journey will end in arriving somewhere — not necessarily here, but somewhere. 66
Copyright © 2001 Edith Nash. For information on re-use see: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/Copyright