Writing in Spanish

I have been writing my daily lists: angers, fears,

gratitude, in Spanish for some time now at the

"suggestion" * of my Costa Rica AA sponsor.

* as anyone familiar with AA knows, they are all "suggestions", as in, "if you do not follow these suggestions you could very well end up drunk, high, overdosed, maimed, dead and in hell -- probably all of the above -- in no time flat."

Clearly, the incentive to follow "suggestions" is strong.

Buoyed by my success in making lists in Spanish, I started writing my semi-daily--I need a word here that doesn't make me feel pretentious. This rules out all of the following: diary, journal, musings, thoughts, commentary, observations--ad infinitum, ad nauseum. Okay, that ad infinitum, ad nauseum sounds pretentious. I'll have to kill that baby later.

I write my daily writing in Spanish now. I ask waiters, passing strangers, taxi drivers, anyone handy, when I need a word. For example, to the waiter today: Primero, segundo, tercero, y ? que and the waiter answers 'cuarto' which I write 'quarto' and correct later in the editing. (first, second, third, fourth)

I get into some good conversations this way, make friends, and learn to speak more Spanish. All good.

Today, suddenly, I realized I was writing creatively, in Spanish, for the first time. I had that thrill inside my stomach you get when you are making something really fun and exciting and you think it is good. I love that feeling.

I was writing about the volcano that is spreading ash over Northern Europe, stopping flights, ruining businesses, wreaking havoc, and wrote...nothing big, just a line,

"mientras, en Costa rica, yo soy feliz, pensando solo de mi".... meanwhile in Costa Rica I am happy and thinking only of me....

in the middle of the line I realized I was writing parenthetically, without thinking twice. How cool, in a second language. That definitely goes on tomorrow's gratitude list. A small thing, but small things make a life enjoyable. Heck, I've already done the 'big' things, husband, children, work. Now I feel like I am free to move on toward the end, following whichever path beckons. "More will be revealed." from someplace in the Big Book.