New Note-Taker

I try to get in a 30 minute walk every morning. It gets me out in the fresh air for a few minutes of the day at least and helps with the calorie-burn problem that sitting in a chair at a computer most of the day creates. While I walk, I use the time for prayer, reflection, plotting (novels--not crimes, unless of course they are in my novels), planning, praising, listening to the birds sing. I always get a few good ideas. Sometimes they stick. Sometimes they are forgotten by the time I've arrived at the mailbox, pulled out the morning newspaper and poured my second cup of coffee.

This morning I had at least three good ideas for blog posts. Pithy stuff that I was sure everyone would benefit from reading. I'm sure those ideas are stored somewhere in the gray matter but I've lost the file. Anyway, I got a brilliant idea. Since it defeats the calorie burning issue to stop and jot notes with pencil and paper and talking into a tape recorder just looks a bit ridiculous, I thought I would carry my cell phone with me from now on. No one ever calls on it. I use it mainly for emergency purposes. Perhaps it's time to put it to good use by calling home and leaving myself a message when my creativity is sparked.

I can see problems there too though. While everyone who sees me will just think I'm having a conversation (talking into a phone is more commonplace than a recorder when you're walking), what happens when my husband gets home and plays the messages? I can see him calling a therapist to make an appointment for me. "She's not only talking to herself, she's calling herself on the phone to talk!"

All brilliant ideas have a few kinks to be worked out.