Writer's Block

The Deadline looms. (Thunder rolls, lightning strikes, etc. etc.)

Yet I am sitting here deconstructing terms as if in the midst of that deconstruction I will suddenly unearth what I'm writing about. I'm trying to write a state-of-the-field essay on the biggest, broadest, most useless topic I can imagine (well, that's not entirely true--I could imagine worse topics). I have moved through the following thought process:

1. Only people with gray hair (entirely gray, not just a few strands here or there) should ever be asked to write such a thing.
2. All meta-discussions of field directions are extended exercises in making shit up.
3. Why exactly did I agree to do this?
4. Perhaps juniorprofs are peculiarly suited to see new directions?
5. Wouldn't it be cool if I could use this time to read all those newly published books that I have failed to get to?
6. Who has time to read?
7. Putting the covers over my head seems like a grand idea.