Five Minute Friday - Visit

On Fridays a bunch of brave writers gather here to all spend 5 collective minutes writing on a single prompt. It’s a great way to catch your breath at the end of a long week. This blessed, beautiful place where we open our hearts and let words and tears and the inner workings of our lives bleed and flow and dance across the virtual pages. Yes, this community opens wide and invites you in to share. Come and visit and read. You will be blessed.

This week: Visit

Go

I committed today.

Laid down real money.

Signed on the line.

I am going to my first official writer’s conference. I’ve hashed this out with my family (we’re all going and turning it into a partial birthday trip for my girl), and have been encouraged by them and other friends that this is a good thing to do.

I’m excited about the speakers, and the breakout sessions – I’ve already charted those out and put in my first, second, and third choice selections (though I have a feeling it’s not going to come to that), but more than anything, I’m giddy with anticipation about the people I’m going to see.

You see, this writing community that bubbles in effervescence around me – overlapping one group to another with continuous connections twining their way through, this community is full of friends that I’m making and longing to see. Longing to sit down with over a cup of coffee or tea, longing to sit eye to eye with to share thoughts and dreams, longing to listen to the cadence of voices bringing to life the words I’ve been reading for months and months.

It was almost too easy for me to begin making a list of why this couldn’t happen: money (there’s always money), maybe the car wouldn’t make it, maybe I wouldn’t be able to walk around the conference, maybe it would be full, maybe I wouldn’t be able to get away from work in time, maybe …

Taking my One Word necklace for a visit with friends

But it doesn’t get much easier than this one. A straight shot down the highway; one state over. Writers whose books I’m reading. Bloggers whose sites I encounter – whose faces I’ve seen lighting up my Twitter feed and Facebook groups. There’s really no good reason not to go.

So I’m going.

It started with a joking line to a friend about getting our One Word necklaces together in real life. And now that’s turning into the real thing with several that I know converging on this small college town, and several more that I hope will join.

You see, it’s this writing community that pulses and thrums so vibrantly online – so much so that it can’t help but explode into real life. The encouragement and cheering. The sharing of joys and sorrows. The chasing of dreams. The praying and sharing. It all happens when we stop in on each other’s lives – sometimes on a blog post; sometimes on Facebook, sometimes with sweet voices carrying over Voxer, sometimes in real life snail mail. But always visiting each other with hearts and hands open. Waiting and welcoming.

And guess what? There’s always room for one more.

Stop

How to Join
Want to know about Lisa Jo Baker, how Five Minute Friday got started, and how to participate? All the details are here. No editing or second guessing. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.

I'd love to connect with you some more - stop on by the Three Bees Facebook Page or connect with me on Twitter @3BeesBlueBonnet. Let's continue the conversation!