Inspired by the “Dashboard” feature on this site

The writing process with Joey is a very new experience for me. I am a control freak, but in this project, I am not the one driving. Instead, I act as the GPS, guiding the ideas he produces and occasionally politely asking him where he thinks he is going and suggesting perhaps he turn around. When he doesn’t take my suggestion or feels very strongly about an idea, I tell him to prove to me it will work, show me on the map where he is going with this. When I do that, he has to explain in very good detail exactly why he wants something to happen a certain way, and I make him show me every angle, throwing in my view here and there. It’s an incredibly invigorating process and has produced ideas that have thoroughly confounded the both of us.

It feels liberating, after so many years of gripping the steering wheel for dear life, to move into the passenger’s seat and chat freely about ideas instead of paying strict attention to the road. For a while I was feeling panicky because I couldn’t see what was coming and I knew much less about the destination than Joey did. But now, even though I occasionally reach up to grip the “oh shit” handle, I’ve accepted my roll as navigator in this insane ride we’re on. Hopefully with practice, I’ll kick my feet up on the dashboard and relax!

But seriously, Joey drives like a maniac. (“Stay?” I ask him, flabbergasted. “You can’t just point to a car and tell them to STAY in Boston, Joey!”)

3 Comments

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  By Joey, 16 January 2010 @ 4:05 PM

  For those of you who don’t know we’re using WordPress, or if you don’t know what WordPress is: it’s the free blogging software we use to run our site here.

  The Dashboard is the first page you see on the administrative end of this site. So none of you actually get to see this.

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  By mom, 16 January 2010 @ 10:17 PM

  this is fantastic. I love you both…you make me proud to be part of your lives…

• 

  By Joey, 17 January 2010 @ 2:18 PM

  Thanks, Ma!

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