Clogged Pipe

For months my bathroom sink drain slowly kept taking longer and longer to allow the water to flow down and away. As the back up continued to worsen, bits of stuff that floated in the water got left behind to leave unsightly reminders of the problem. 

Every time I washed my hands, brushed my teeth or ran the water in that sink it reminded me there was a problem waiting to be fixed.

Ever count how many times you use your sink each day? Try it. You'll be surprised. 

Perhaps the even bigger question becomes, why did I let the problem become so big and go on for so long before finally biting the bullet and fixing it? 

The answer: there are only so many hours in a day. 

It's been an extremely busy fall for me. I've had a major event that I've either been the chairperson, co-chair, or other organizer for nearly six weeks straight and it just hadn't made it to the top of the priority list. It's a long list. (It took me three hours just to clear one email account after all that time and I'm still working on the second one!)  

Eventually I grew tired of seeing the scum in the sink. It was time to take matters into my own hands. 

So, last Tuesday night after cleaning my bathroom, I tackled the dreaded job. I assembled my supplies: snake, toothbrush, knife, wrench, assistant (my 6 year old son), and muscle (my husband). 

I disassembled what I could, then called in the muscle to take apart the U-bend of the pipe. When we got it apart, I cleaned it with good old fashioned hot water (in my utility sink) and elbow grease. 

The stuff coming out of the sink and white pipe was black, smelly, gunky. In short: gross. 

But guess what?

Once everything was snaked, clean, and reassembled, my sink worked like new. 

And now every time I use that sink, I smile.   

So, what does this have to do with writing? 

Pick an aspect that you dread about writing: outlining, editing, cover art, grammar, finding beta readers, finding an agent, finding a publisher, promotions, reviews, etc. 

At the time it's a pain and we put it off, but once the task is accomplished, we feel so good that we smile. And that pushes us to go through it all over again.

And while I think it'll be a while before I have to clean out my sink pipe again, I know how to tackle it, who to call in for support, and will smile when the water runs cleanly down the drain. 

What is your clogged pipe that you're putting off?