On Again, Off Again Passions

I'm wondering today if you can have a passion that is on again, off again. You know, like one of those unhealthy romantic things that most of us find ourselves tangled up in at some point. Except that this on again, off again relationship lasts a lifetime.

I feel like my writing is sort of a flighty, wishy washy, unpredictable sort of passion. But then it really isn't I guess. I'm a writer by profession. I wonder if I wasn't a writer by profession, would I be a passionate writer by night? Like, totally committed? Ten thousand percent? Can't get enough of it?

I often tell myself in my frustrated moments that you can only be passionate about something that you are completely obsessed with. But then I think, that's probably not true or realistic.

What I really think, I think (you get that?), is that there are three kinds of people in the world:

• The people who are completely engrossed by a single passion in both their career and in their personal lives
• The people who are completely engrossed by a single passion in their spare time
• The people who have on again, off again relationships with a single passion or perhaps multiple ones

There are a number of prolific writers out there. I think if I had enough to say, I'd certainly be one. I mean I've pumped out several of these blogs this week no problem. They generally take me less than 10 minutes to write when I've actually got something I want to say.

But I also see writers, and artists, who come in and out of the spotlight. Who go years or decades in between producing something new.

Maybe I'm one of those?

Or maybe I'm trying to make sense out of something that doesn't make any sense, just to make myself feel better about being a wishy washy sort of writer. One who has bursts of creativity followed by a long silence that gets covered up by books and tv and gardening.

I don't know. What do you think?