Thank you, Kurt Vonnegut

One reason to write

Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash

I borrowed a Kurt Vonnegut book from the library today. It says that Kurt said we should write what we care terribly about.

Naturally I wanted to write to check what I cared about terribly.

But what we care about terribly, depends on time, doesn’t it?

It’s Saturday night. This morning I cared terribly about having sex with my wife. Now I care terribly about the mean things I said to her an hour ago.

This morning I cared terribly about the chicken wings we’d ordered last night from St. Louis Bar and Grill. Right now I care about the chicken I am frying alone for chicken chili — something my wife and I were supposed to do together tonight.

But beyond transient fight status with my wife, I do have some relatively permanent concerns.

I mean, I do care about my family terribly.

I care about myself terribly.

I need nicotine in my body terribly.

I need beer during the weekends terribly.

I care about being a writer professionally, terribly.

I wanna see the best cities and beaches in the world, terribly.