Broken Ribs and Caterpillar Drafts
Last month, I tripped while running. It was bad, so bad a car stopped to ask if I needed help.
“I’m fine,” I lied.
As soon as the car turned the corner, I called Josh and he drove me home. The cuts healed quickly but something in my chest kept aching. Laughing hurt and sleeping took many pillows.
Did I stop running?
No.
One night, I was up late in pain, looking for something online that would tell me I could keep running even if I had a cracked rib when Josh walked in.
Him: What are you doing?
Me: Googling ‘Is it safe to run with chest pain?’
Him: I want you to repeat what you just said s l o w l y.
Me: It sounds silly if you say it like that.
Him: You’re the one looking up weird things.
Why do we resist rest? When my kids were little, they fought naps to the point of sometimes falling asleep on the floor.
I do the same with my running...and writing. I’ll get a shiny new idea and work and rework the text until I can’t tell the good from the bad. When this happens, rest is the only way forward.
Some people call these “cruddy first drafts.” I call them—Caterpillar Drafts. Think of a caterpillar. You can’t force it to become butterfly. Adding band-aids (or line edits) usually only makes things worse or at least more confusing. First drafts need transformation. That takes time, care, rest. The same is true with any damaged project, relationship, or bone. Structural problems need structural fixes.
I finally went to the doctor about my ribs. He prescribed six weeks of taking it easy.
Ugh. Six. Weeks.
At first, I hated it. I missed running, but gradually I discovered other ways to decompress. Walking. Hiking. Sitting. Watching. I’m still not great at slowing down, but I found beauty in taking things slowly.
I also gained a renewed appreciation for these truly beautiful things—
laughing,
breathing deeply,
sleeping without a million pillows.
All things I can do again!
So this month I’d like to celebrate the beauty of resting! What is your favorite way to decompress? I like to read. Here are a few picture books about the power of pause.
You can find a longer list of some of my favorite lyrical books here.
In the meantime, be sure to give yourself time to rest. FYI, that doesn't mean stop altogether. Rather, try something new, try something slower, work on something else. Writing something new (and reading new books) tends to give me fresher eyes for the old.
Stay safe, be well...and if you go on a big trip this year, I hope it isn't on a sidewalk crack. ;)
Hannah