Broadax

By: Gabriela Yareliz

I was reading the piece on Annie Dillard’s life and recent death.

It made me think a lot about writing. About life. How many hours does any of us have left? We spend so much time in unconscious living; engaging in habits and actions we do on autopilot. How much conscious life do we have left? I heard a whole podcast about this, recently— the things that steal life away. Eeh!

I am also reading this book, Habits of a Household, about turning ordinary moments into liturgical moments. Turning habits into worship. Creating space for sacred moments.

With all these thoughts swirling through my head and coming to me, repeatedly, in different ways, I then encountered the obit piece on Annie Dillard. (RIP)

I loved the quote in there, and you can apply it to just about anything you want to be in life. Doesn’t have to be writing.

She wrote:

“How many of you, I asked the people in my class, which of you want to give your lives and be writers? […]

And then I tried to tell them what the choice must mean: You can’t be anything else. You must go at your life with a broadax.”

There she goes quoting Walt Whitman; someone she was compared to for years.

What does it mean to go at life with a “broadax”?

Be bold, fierce, committed, present, and full throttle.

Nothing less, and always MAX.

Go at life with your broadax. Let’s do it.