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“Decisions are made by those who show up.” — Aaron Sorkin

This quote, uttered by Martin Sheen in the Season One finale of The West Wing is especially appropriate today. It is Election Day in the United States and this post was written early because I’m working a polling place today, which means there will be very little opportunity for me to get any work done on my novel. Instead, I’ll be helping others exercise their right and responsibility of citizenship. I make a determined effort in November not to let outside things force me to put aside me writing. This one, I volunteered for. Why? Because we show up.
 
But it is appropriate for us as WriMos because, no matter where we are, we are also showing up. We’ve committed to writing these words this month, to tell our stories now, not “someday.” Some of us are doing this because we’re planning on publishing the stories we’re trying to tell. Some of us are trying to see if we can do this instead of always wondering — and never knowing — if we could. Some of us write to please only ourselves, and our words will never be seen by other eyes.
 
All of this is good for one very simple reason: we made the decision to act instead of wait, to do instead of observing.  That we are now in the second week of this year’s NaNoWriMo and are still going is something to be proud of. No, this is not an accomplishment that in and of itself will remake the world – but it can remake us.
 
Life is a series of decisions. If we do not consciously make those decisions for ourselves, we have made the decision to let others make them for us. We let our stories be something that isn’t as important to us as the other things we do every day. If they aren’t important to us, then why would anyone else think otherwise.
 
Show up at the page today, no matter how ahead or behind you are. Make the decision to tell your story. It’s also the decision to say your voice has worth.
 
May the writing be good today. And if you’re registered – go vote!

Word Count Goal: 13,336

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