Every Single Morning

This morning's three pages and the almighty pen.

I’m sometimes asked how I write so much.

Every single morning, I wake, stand, walk around the bed out into the hall, pulling the bedroom door closed. The smoke detector softly lights my way to the bathroom. I look to my older daughter’s door, closed so the dog will stay and comfort her, and at my younger daughter’s door, partially open to invite the cats. I go into the bathroom still trying to open my eyes.

After I relieve myself I remember not to flush yet. I pull out my mouthguard, take toothpaste from the cabinet, and brush the guard. Because I haven’t flushed, there’s some water from the tap. The guard clean, I brush my teeth and take the first look at myself. I’m working to be fit and it seems my love handles are diminished. Good.

I spit toothpaste, rinse and dry the brush and guard, and put them away. I reach back to flush and go into the hall where a cat is waiting. She leads me downstairs where the other cat pounces on her and runs away.

I turn out the front porch lights, open the dining room blinds, go to the kitchen, turn out the light there, and open those blinds. One cat vaults onto the table then down to the food bowls. “This way! Over here!” I scoop food into their bowls.

I add water to the kettle if need be and light the burner, pull down a mug, beans, my hand grinder, and the Aeropress. Two scoops of beans in the grinder and I crank for two minutes pacing between stove and refrigerator. The water comes to boil as I pour grounds into the press. I shut it off and go into the bathroom to weigh in for my daily indictment. Today I’m not guilty.

Back to the kitchen, I pour hot water, press coffee, then clean the press. I carry the mug to my desk, start the music, record my weight in my planner, and note anything to remember for the day. I clear the desk of books and cat hair and take out three sheets of lined paper and my pen.

Every single morning I write the date on those three sheets, number them one, two, three, sip coffee, and write the pages full.

How does a person write 3,324 pages? By doing the same thing every morning for three years and twelve days. That’s how.