A Little Us Time (Sort Of)

We usually start with coffee.

But tonight, the mugs are heavier.

There's a nip in the air, and someone (with suspiciously Irish ancestry) suggested a splash of whiskey in the brew.

Maybe two.

Maybe we’ve traded coffee altogether -  the whiskey’s been whispering sweet nothings from the study corner all evening.

The intention was rest.

The vibe? Mildly feral.

Laptops open.

Socks mismatched.

Muses uninvited but already helping themselves to metaphors.

So much for a night off.

Welcome back.

Late Night Musings with Rogues & Scoundrels

This week we had time away from the kids. Graeme and Marion, would continue to survive alone in the greyworld.

Rashid will remain alert pondering the mystery by the riverbank.

And Gary! Well Gary could be left to just be Gary.

Do the things Gary does.

Goddamn Gary.

Or so we thought.

As we have come to learn characters love to have their voices heard. They love to speak up. Yes, screw your early night plans or your nature walk to ponder tonights dinner.

Whenever. Wherever. (cue Shakira. You’re welcome.)

So, we thought we’d take a little ‘us time’ this long weekend.

Take a moment to celebrate a few wins and ponder what’s  next and just… breathe.

Muse the night away, no screens - phones and laptops - be gone with you!

Except one of us, may or may not have jotted down a new idea on the back of a cafe receipt. And it may or may not have anything to do with Gary.

After all, and this is the truth - this is how ideas are born.

Not always in the grind but in the giggle, in the gap between intention and surrender. In the places where our rules blur and the wine flows.

Anyway, you know what I mean.

Yes, you.

You stopped by to read some musings.

Which makes you one of us. Admit it!

It’s only natural to spy on what others are musing about, something to compare and measure your musings to.

Pervert.

Any hoo, creative chats, rollicking laughter and whoops - another character is born.

With who?

Whoever is with you - not with you or with you, you.

Yes, you know what i mean - talking to yourself. Go on, it’s the 21st century.

You can admit it.

There’s not always someone on the other side of those headphones.

Is there?

What, wait… weren’t we relaxing this weekend? Remember?

Time away from the kids, not making more of them. 

Apparently not.

It's a night of whoopsies.

We tell ourselves time away is important. Essential, even.

As writers and teachers, humans and chaos-mongers, we need the reset, just like you.

It’s important that we wind down.

Take a moment to unplug and stop the thought train, the over analysis.

The life-work balance.

We say things like:

“Let’s unplug.”

“Let’s walk the beach.”

“Let’s read a book without turning it into a character breakdown.”

And yet - the movie’s on pause for the 27th time, one of us is narrating a new subplot, and we’ve both forgotten what the plot of the film even was.

Again.

Because when you love what you do, you don’t turn it off.

And maybe… maybe that’s OK.

We have had many teachers in life - some unforgettable, some unfortunately familiar.

In adolescence, we become hyper self-aware, critical of ourselves and others, sharpening our ambition until it glints.

We chase goals, climb ladders, leap too far like Macbeth and land hard on the other side.

And somewhere in that messy fall… we grow.

That’s where stories come from.

From the metacognitive chaos.

From thinking about thinking.

From noticing the voice in your head and realising - that’s not just a thought.

That’s a character waiting to speak.

So yes, we believe in balance.

In friends, family, slow mornings.

But also in love - messy, consuming love for the work.

The kind that doesn’t clock off.

Call it musing.

Call it madness.

But we wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Because in the end, this isn’t just work.

It’s not just leisure either.

It’s love.

And we’re here for it.