The situation in which Jessica is finding herself with her writing at this time resonates with me in so many ways, on so many levels, both historical and current.

Jessica started a journal a little while back. Not so much as a diary, but more just a book where she can write stuff. It seems that in the past week or so, the spigot of her writing has been switched resolutely ON -- words, poems, ideas and impressions have been tumbling out of her pen and onto the pages of this journal as fast as she can write them. This part resonates with me historically, since it was at just about her present age, seventeen-almost-eighteen, that I suddenly started filling spiral notebooks with page after page of writing, poems and lyrics and stories and stuff, with the same kind of urgent, explosive pace. It's terrifically exciting to see in Jessica.

However...like the man said, "Moderation in all things, including moderation." It seems that over the past few days, this journal has kind of taken over. Jessica has been carrying it around with her, and it's become more of a focus of her time and attention than is perhaps called for -- her other work is getting short shrift. As a result, she's confronting some hard lessons about keeping things in balance, about not allowing a creative outlet to obscure necessary daily activities. This development also resonates with me -- why do you think I'm taking a year off from Guitar Craft?

A part of me looks at what I've written here and protests that I'm trying to squash the youthful creative drive and enthusiasm with my middle-age sensibility. If that's so, I guess I'm too close to be able to see it. And certainly, this experience could offer an opportunity to learn this lesson now with a minimum number of hard knocks.

But nevertheless, a life out of balance (Koyaanisqatsi) is not an easily recommended thing, particularly in a girl who is otherwise so generally well-grounded -- it's like disco lights in a rose garden.