I really want to focus on my life, but I haven’t written in a week and the creative ideas are coming for me. That’s right. Not to me but for me.

There’s this box in my brain where I store all my potential story ideas. But it seems the box’s lid has come loose. And by loose I mean it’s been flung open.

Usually, when I get an idea, it plops into my mind. I scrape all its bits of content up with a shiny spatula and pancake-flip it into the box where it waits to be tended to.

Having little time to give my ideas, the box is now overflowing and the Ideas won’t be contained! They’re demanding to be heard and realized. Each is rippling with potential but not yet developed. They’re dilapidated; dancing like the creatures from Michael Jackson’s Thriller, and I’m the girl running ridiculously down a deserted street to avoid them. But there’s no way to hide from myself.

My little Frankenstein monsters especially love coming to the forefront of my attention during quiet times like work meetings. As I try to pay attention to the presentation of this quarter’s sale statistics, I feel something knocking at the door to the back of my mind. A quick look inward tells me it’s that princess character whose name I have yet to determine.

“Yoo hoo!” She coos. “Given any thought to my name yet? I was thinking it would be most appropriate if it had a lot of A’s in it! The points on my crown are shaped like A’s so it’s very fitting, don’t you think? Also, I was hoping you’d given more though to my hair because I –”

BANG

Finally! I manage to get the door closed and her chattering ceases.

Oh no! Due to her distracting yammering I’ve tuned out again. What did the presenter just say?  Something about… book sails?  No! He must have meant book sales, but it’s too late. I’m already thinking about giant ships catching strong winds in billowing sails made of pages and pages of children’s literature. The massive vessel operated by a skilled team of Sales pirates; a menagerie of pegged legs, patched eyes, and hooked hands whose collective love for the sea comes second only to their love of reading. Able to quote every passage printed on their ship’s sails, they sail the seas spreading the power of words with each adventure!

It’s a great idea, but I have no time for it! Especially not now as I’m trying to focus on this meeting.

Has a great idea ever come to you at a most inopportune time? Feel free to share in a comment!