Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning, Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning, Joe. What's new?
JOE: I visited my rheumatologist yesterday. I thought back to several years ago when my arthritis was bothering me so much I couldn't close my hands to make a fist. I had great difficulty with typing, making frequent mistakes because my fingers would not go where I wanted them to.
CALLIOPE: And now?
JOE: It's almost as if I never had arthritis. I have a tiny bit of stiffness in my hands but not enough to interfere with my writing or anything else.
CALLIOPE: Great. Do you have an exercise for today?
JOE: I decided to skip a few since they were primarily for just beginning writers or those who had het not been able to bring themselves to write. But one exercise seemed of interest and applied to me.
CALLIOPE: And what was that?
JOE: Along the theme of not writing alone, I should list all the voices which are with me as I write.
CALLIOPE: Sounds interesting. I'd like to know what they say as you write.
JOE: Here goes. Different people are with me at different times. As I write now, my Uncle Bob stands by watching with his smile but not saying anything. John Updike reminds me to think like a poet when choosing words. James Michener tells me that structure is a good way to organize a book as he did with The Source. Annie Lamott reminds me of the importance of writing each day. Henry David Thoreau reminds me to list things for which I am grateful each day (and have not done yet today.) And of course there is your quiet input.
CALLIOPE: It sounds crowded in your little room. Remember to think of all these helpers the next time you start to imagine writing is a lonely endeavor.
JOE: Thanks. I will.