Some of you are probably old enough to remember the expression, "Being on pins and needles." It means anxiously awaiting the outcome of an event, or worrying about something to the point of incurring anxiety. It has nothing to do with druggies, who have tried to hijack the term.

Truth is there's plenty to be anxious about in this world, and a certain amount of anxiety is perfectly normal. Waiting to hear about a rewarding contract, or a new job opportunity, or who has won a coveted writing contest, can all qualify in the writer's world. Yet to deal with it, we have to turn our minds to something else that's productive, while we're waiting.

Trying to find a particular haiku we co-wrote 30+ years ago falls into the category of wasting time, instead of writing something new. But it niggles at the back of the mind, wondering which safe place we put it in after all. It needs to see the light of day again.

Perhaps I should move these stacks of papers that are around my desk, including on the floor. I need to file them or toss them, or throw out some older magazines to make room for the same topics that are revisited every two to five years in the newer editions. Yet right now, I need to revisit some of my technical writing skills, as software changes all the time. Decisions are not always easy for a creative person to make!