We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.
Good-byes are hard. This week I said good-bye to the Life List Club. Not because I don’t think the club serves a legitimate purpose, and not because I dislike any of the other members. I was just time.
Actually, I probably wasn’t quite honest in joining in the first place. When I was invited to join, I saw a networking opportunity for a blog that was very puny at that time, as well as an opportunity to make new writer friends.
I’ve never been sorry I joined. I just hope Marcia Richards and Jess Witkins, cofounders and people I consid
er dear friends, don’t feel like I’ve taken unfair advantage by joining the club. That was never my intent.
As the name implies, the club is all about listing life goals and sharing stories about those goals and one’s progress toward achieving them. Very honorable and worthwhile.
The problem is that I’ve never been a list-type person. I know, this puts me out of step with most of my writer friends—and particularly with my LLC friends. List-making and goal-setting have become de riguer in today’s world. If you don’t set goals and make lists, there must be something wrong with you. You’ll never accomplish anything. At least that seems to be the prevailing attitude in today’s world in general and among writers in particular.
I don’t mean for any of this to sound like sour grapes. I love my LLC friends and have nothing but the best to say about any of them. And, no, I wasn’t asked to leave. I just came to realize that I don’t fit the mold to blog as an LLC member, so I resigned.
If you’re not familiar with the Life List Club, click on the club name and visit the website. Read the members’ bios, and read a few of the posts. You’ll see as you read the posts that mine don’t quite fit in with the others. I give this club my wholehearted endorsement. If you’d like to share your life goals with a group of very supportive friends and writers, you should get in touch with Marcia or Jess about joining. You’ll find a lot of love and mutual support if you do.
——————————————
David N. Walker is a Christian father and grandfather, a grounded pilot and a near-scratch golfer who had to give up the game because of shoulder problems. A graduate of Duke University, he spent 42 years as a health insurance agent. Most of that career was spent in Texas, but for a few years he traveled many other states. He started writing about 20 years ago, and has six unpublished novels to use as primers on how NOT to write fiction. He is currently putting the finishing touches on his non-fiction Web Wisdom: Godly Thoughts and Inspiration from the Inbox and starting his new fiction work—a series of novellas set during the period from 1860 to 1880.
Contact me at davwalktx@yahoo.com or tweet me at @davidnwalkertx
David N Walker 
David, I’m sure you know this already since I’m late to the game and playing catch-up as usual, but one of the coolest things about the LLC is the friendships and shared inspiration stay intact even when you move on. They really have for me – I continue to get so much encouragement, support and inspiration from many of you and I’m on hiatus and not even maintaining my own blog regularly : ). To get where I want to go, I had to decide that for now my goals were to live and be happy and actually IN my life instead of always planning the next phase of it, write my book and nothing else for a while, and to keep myself in the gym enough to be both more fit and stress-free. Three little things, and that’s working ever so much better for me than my original long list : ).
LikeLike
Thanks, Pam. We both gained good friends through LLC.
LikeLike
David, your inspiring contributions to the LLC will be missed but we all know where to find you … and that’s a good thing …
LikeLike
Thanks, Patricia. And you’re right, I’m not going anywhere.
LikeLike
These are always tough decisions to make — when to move on from an activity even when you really enjoy the other people there.
I am a big list maker! I can’t imagine not having lists, but I understand that plenty of people don’t. I do like that the LLC gets people thinking about what they want to do in life, whether they ever write a list or not.
LikeLike
I used to make lists, Julie, but I could never remember where I put them.
LikeLike
You know David, I really wanted to join – it looked so cool! But I’m not a list maker. Well, I am when I go camping, or am starting a big project. And grocery lists. I make those.
But life lists? Those are fluid and ever-changing, so I shied away from joining. I do understand why you left, and I’m glad you made new friends!
LikeLike
Thanks, Christine.
LikeLike
Well, I’m going to miss your humor at the LLC site, but I’ll come bug you here often. It was wonderful meeting you at DFW. And we were each other’s first blog swaps! I think we’ve both grown quite a bit in our last year of blogging. And I hope that never stops.
Don’t be a stranger around the LLC site. I do hope you’ll do some guest posts and come heckle as only you know how!
LikeLike
A guest post now and then would be cool. Looking forward to LaCrosse.
LikeLike
Your decision to leave LLC surprises me, David. I understand what you are saying … and I’m not much of a list/goal maker either, at least the writing of goals, etc ….. but I do see the importance and respect those who do this so well. Wishing you the best as you proceed with your writing …
LikeLike
Thanks, Sis.
LikeLike
We’re going to miss you so much, David, but I know where to find you! I understand about not wanting to make lists or just that it doesn’t come naturally to a lot of people. Whether we realize it or not, we actually do follow an unwritten list whenever we do anything. There are steps to take to have a meal, brush your teeth, go on vacation. Not everyone writes it down, but it’s there. It’s a path to get where you want to go. Making a formal list isn’t for everyone but we do make it fun at LLC. Most of our readers rarely get specific about their own lists and that’s okay. We know that by following LLC, they don’t feel defeated or like failures if they don’t accomplish what’s on the list because they see us mess up and have setbacks, too. But we’re never standing still, always moving forward. And that’s what life is all about, right?
So, that was a long way of saying you did provide value at LLC and we loved having you with us. We’ll all stop here, instead, now to read your funny and inspiring posts. Big hugs to you, my dear, dear friend!
LikeLike
Thanks, Marcia. It was not an easy decision to make, because of the friendships I’ve made there.
LikeLike
We shall miss your LLC posts David but onwward and upward and here’s to the excitement to come!
LikeLike
Thanks, Nat. I always appreciate your uplifting comments.
LikeLike
Part of knowing when to say goodbye is a great strength. I just said goodbye to my Critique sisters…well..we didn’t say good bye…just handed the pen on.
I better go check out life list. For now… enjoy the moment. There are so few of those on the lists.
LikeLike
Thanks, Karlene. I know you lead a busy life, but you might enjoy joining the LLC.
LikeLike
David, I’m clicking your follow button because I don’t want our new-found cyber connection to fizzle. Don’t know why I didn’t click it sooner.
If only I could be as definitive and concise as you when de-cluttering my closet of clothes that no longer fit.
LikeLike
Glad we stayed in touch, Sherry.
LikeLike
Well said, David. I love the peeps and voices on LLC, and I’m sure yours will be missed. I admire those who set goals and are willing to share them on the blog. But…
I love your unique voice and recent blog topics. You can move those posts over here.
I’m a list person. I’m a list-loser person. I’m a don’t-make-me-tell-the-world-what-I-did-or-did-not-accomplish-this-week person. Sharing that Intel with Sherry Isaac brings out the Fibber McGee in me.
If you’re reading this, Sherry, I have no clue why Yahoo! continues to eat my weekly reports.
This brought to you by the unabashed rule-bender.
LikeLike
I thought it was the dog that ate the reports, Gloria. Yahoo does that, too?
LikeLike