Another Sabbatical

Friday August 1st, 2014 – Island Lake, IL

I need to take another sabbatical from writing this particular diary. I think if nothing else I have proven that I can crank out material consistently – even if it has a tendency to rattle the cages of some on occasion. I don’t set out to do that or anything else but let my innermost feelings flow.

As I said before my last predetermined break – which ended up only lasting a month – I will be back when I feel I have something to say. I didn’t stay gone long, and I am still flattered by all of the tremendous emails of support I received from so many that I didn’t even realize were readers.

This time my reason for leaving is different. I need to focus on and FINALLY finish a book of the horrific experiences I went through having had to testify in Federal Court against my former childhood best friend that robbed a bank he used to work at – twice. Anyone that has known me for a long time has either heard the story or bits and pieces, and it has without fail captivated all.

The reason I can confidently boast of how great a story it is is because I did not write it. It just unfolded in front of me and all I have to do is report what happened. I guess I really was lucky to have been given such an amazing gift, but it sure was painful to live through as it all played out.

I admit that for years I was avoiding it. I didn’t want to go back there in my head, as it was so torturous an experience. Having to testify against one’s very best friend is as ugly as I ever want to imagine. I still have the occasional nightmare even now, but the time has come to get it out of me once and for all. Putting it into book form will allow me to move on from that painful stretch.

Years from now, all kinds of people will read it and be riveted. Most are. People I have told the full story to often become totally engrossed. When I told it on the Bob and Tom radio show I was deluged with emails from all over the country from strangers who were all absolutely fascinated.

I feel in my deepest heart that this is the project I need to focus on and get it off my plate once and for all. I fully believe it will open a lot of doors for me that aren’t open now, and if nothing else it will give me a product NOBODY else has. It is exclusive unto me, and will set me apart.

For however long it takes to finish this project, I will devote any and all spare time to getting it done. My original intention was to work on it for June, July and August – but here it is August 1 and I’ve frittered away yet another summer. I have made excuses long enough. It has to get done.

My good friend Lynn Miner has offered to edit the manuscript, and he has lots of experience as he has had almost thirty books of his own published. He knows the process well, and it is kind of him to offer his help. I will take him up on it, and he has already made outstanding suggestions.

All the parts of the story are there, as I wrote a skeleton outline about fifteen years ago not long after it all happened. I was not nearly the writer I am now, and all these years of making posts on a daily basis have strengthened my skill level exponentially. I already feel a major improvement.

I spent about four hours today getting the old manuscript ready to revamp. I’ll make occasional posts here if something of note occurs, but that is my focus. If you want to sign up for my monthly comedy newsletter, please send me your email address at dobiemaxwell@aol.com. I’ll let you know when the book is ready. If you enjoy this diary you will love the book. Thanks again for your loyal support! Good bye for now.

I need to take another break for a while so I can complete my first book. Talk to you hopefully sooner than later. Thanks!

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Three Thousand Pages

Wednesday June 12^th, 2013 – Fox Lake, IL

   I’ve been cyber scribbling my daily ramblings now since March 14^th, 2006. I can’t believe I’ve stayed at it this long, but I haven’t missed even a single day’s entry. Sometimes I do fall behind a couple of days, but I always catch up. It has now become a part of my life, like taking a shower.

   I try not to fall behind a couple of days on showering, but I think the point is clear. This is now a part of my life, and I don’t even think about it. I originally started by wondering if I could write a page a day about what it’s like to be a comedian for thirty straight days. I aced that and more.

  The reason it crossed my mind at all is this is my 1,500^th post on wordpress.com. That’s one of the places I’ve been posting for years, and it keeps a daily count. I went back and counted to day one, and all totaled with leap years added in it’s my 2650^th post of all time. That’s a lot of work.

   Most days the entries are a single page, but many times they have been two depending on how much I had to say on a given day. I won’t go back and count those, but it’s safe to say I’ve gotten to 3000 pages. They might not be good, but that’s not in the equation. I’m focusing on numbers.

   If anybody was asked to write 3000 pages about their life, it would seem like an overwhelming task. Looking back, it was no big deal at all. I invested a small amount of time almost every day, and now I’ve got tangible product up the wazoo. What to do with it, who knows? But I have it.

   A lot has happened in my life since this started. I traveled the country performing comedy, and I appeared on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on CBS. I got to meet one of my all time entertainment heroes George Clinton in Houston and I survived a nasty surgery on my genitals of all places. There have been ups and downs just like in any life – but mine is recorded for the ages.

   I have no idea who will ever read it, but there’s still something that feels good about doing it as long as I have. I look at my daily writing time as an exercise – and an enjoyable one at that. I like anything that stretches my brain from crossword puzzles to trivia games. This fits that category.

   I sit down when I do, and let my mind open up and do its thing. What can I write about today? Some days are harder than others, but I’ve never drawn a blank and not had anything. Not once. I’m not claiming to be a great writer or even good, but I sure have gotten better over the years.

   One thing I’m just now coming to admit to myself is that I’m a writer at all. I never considered myself one. I am a comedian who writes a daily diary, but when I saw that big ‘1500’ staring me in the puss it slapped me into reality. I guess I am after all. That and a dollar will get me a greasy cheeseburger at a drive thru window, but nobody can take away those 3000 pages. I worked at it.

   The good thing about it is I still have everything I wrote. Standup comedy isn’t like that. Most if not all my hard work is gone immediately after I get off stage. I’ve left little pieces of my soul all over North America since I’ve been doing standup comedy, and had some spectacular shows.

   But once the show is over, I’ve got nothing to show for it. The special moment is gone forever. In writing, I can go back to any page and look at it indefinitely as a piece of my personal history. I have no idea what to do with any of this, but at least I have something to do it with. Most of the best comedy shows I’ve ever done only live on in my head. To succeed in business, one needs to find a way to duplicate one’s self. I’ll never get those shows back, but I have what I wrote about.