Why Do I Write?

     Why do I write?  The answer is very simple: writing gives me a high.  I know some people get a high from eating certain foods, like chocolate or cheesecake.  And I've heard of "runner's high," the feeling some people get after a good workout.  (I've never experienced that, of course.  That's why I don't run.)
     Writing makes me high.  It fills me with euphoria, makes me tremble and gasp for air.  When I write something that I feel, in my gut, is a piece of great writing, be it a scene or a paragraph or even just a sentence that sets the tone perfectly, endorphins begin to flood my bloodstream and all my nerve endings tingle with thrilling delight.  Writing brings me to heights of ecstasy that almost nothing else can.  It's my drug.
     Which is not to say I couldn't quit if I had to.  Writing is not an addiction; I get so sick of people saying, "I write because I have to write."  People kick their compulsions when they have to all the time, be it because it's become dangerous or life threatening or puts them at risk for ending up in prison or the morgue.  If I ever felt like writing was taking over my life or becoming a danger to the stability and well being of my family, I would stop.   I would miss the high, but I would stop.
     But it doesn't look like that's going to happen anytime soon.  So I'm going to keep writing, and hopefully, write something that people enjoy, and gives them the same euphoria it gave me.  Makes them feel all warm and tingly inside.
     So if you're reading this, welcome.  You've arrived just in time; we've only just begun.  Hopefully, it will be a long, pleasant ride.