The lake is my favorite distraction

Happy Friday! Everyone good?

I’m writing today’s blog from what I call the porch, which is actually a spacious screen room where I have a vast view of Big Lake Henderson.

I’ll be losing this view in a few weeks. Not ready to talk about it yet, but the new Just Wright Citrus World Headquarters III is not waterfront, making me a true landlubber for the first time in 20 years.

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For a guy who doesn’t swim, fish, or boat, I’ve sure enjoyed living along the water. I’m bummed it’s coming to an end, at least in this season of my life.

Been pretty stressed the last few weeks with the pending move, which isn’t yet officially set in stone. It’ll all come to a rush in a hurry, that I do know.

I’ve done very little packing or preparing. I’m a procrastinator if there ever was one, and I have a tough time packing up while still living here.

It has to do with comfort. See, I’m a writer. And we’re wired a little weird. If I’m not comfortable in my surroundings, my brain shuts down and we can forget about prose until that comfort returns.

My current house is a writer’s dream. It's equipped with a built-in office that affords a wide view of the lake to my left and a vast yard to my right.

It’s also filled with distractions. I regularly take a stroll about the house, or go sit on the porch for a few moments to stare at the lake. I rationalize it’s for inspiration, but closer to the truth, I’m just goofing off. That said, it’s quite peaceful, and that’s why I occasionally write my blog out there.

The blog has thrived in this house, and frankly, I’m a little worried about what a move will do to my writing process. I’m not much on routine, but the one I’ve built here is about to be tossed to the wind.

Don’t get me wrong. Without getting into the details, the place I’m headed is peaceful and quiet. Plenty of potential for distraction. It has all the makings of a writer’s home.

But I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t admit to being nervous. I’m trying not to get too wound up about it. I mean…it’s a blog, not a novel. By now, I should be able to write these in nearly any circumstance. Reporters write where we’re planted at the moment.

It’s much easier on a deadline. You see, deadlines have two defining motivations. One is, “OK, get it done.” The other is, “OH MY GOD, GET IT DONE.” Distractions don’t come into play when an editor is screaming for the story. The blog isn’t deadline stuff, but I pick up tidbits during the day for the Facebook page, and there’s always an urgency to posting something live.

I’ve never felt that more than the day I learned the state had stopped plans for the northern extension of Florida’s Turnpike. I received the tip during a regular phone conversation as I sat in a parking lot near the John Brown Drive fishing pier in Ozello.

After confirming the tip, I started writing up a Facebook post on my phone. I was shaking. This was one of the biggest stories of the year, and Just Wright Citrus was about to break it. I reached out to my “editor” friend to put her on standby. This post had to be flawless.

I posted that baby, and by time I got home from Ozello, it had blown up. Every media outlet in North-Central Florida jumped on it.

So, you see, I can write anywhere on deadline. It’s the non-deadline blog writing that generally requires a more comfortable setting.

Like the screen porch I’ll soon be losing. And the lakefront morning sky. And Bunny’s peace in her “apartment” during bad weather. Just the familiarity of knowing my home is solid, a place of comfort and longing. I once told the owner I feel like every Sunday I should be packing to go home from vacation. That’s the peace this lakefront life afforded me.

That will shift sometime in the next few weeks. Writing is all about adventures, and we’re about to go on one.

(By the way, I’m relocating because the owners are selling. They're nice people who deserve a fair return on this gorgeous property.)

I’m going to miss being along the shores of Big Lake Henderson. But, boy, am I grateful for the experience. The lake will never leave me.

Enjoy this beautiful Friday, friends.

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