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Yep, I'm an Anti-Christ

5/30/2018

So I’ve been informed that someone has referred to a writing group I’m associated with as the anti-Christ. That’s the first time that label has been smacked on me. That it took 42.5 years to get hit with that particular moniker is especially impressive. Christians don’t usually make it that long without a full frontal attack on their authenticity.

Oh well. Go me!

Actually, I can chuckle because I’ve learned through personal struggles over the past few years that far less is personal than we imagine. In fact, very little is personal, because the things other people say are a 0% reflection on you and 100% reflection on them. Sure, you’re entitled to your opinion. It may be right, or it may be wrong. The ultimate authority is with the Lord. I’m not worried about what others think, because you can ask a million people and get a million different answers and perspectives, and THAT is a quick path to madness because you can’t make everybody happy. We’re all unique. We all work differently. Not all things are equal. But there is one fundamental fact that applies to every individual in the world:

You are a part of creation, not the center of it.

So let’s get over ourselves already, and focus more on fulfilling our purpose and supporting each other in fulfilling their purpose in creation. It’s all connected, so let’s connect the best way we can, with joy, mercy, grace, wisdom, discernment, and love.

It’s not personal, even if others try to make it so. At least, I’m not taking things that hard. Some people like me. Some don’t. But you know what? I have my own ideas about people. Wisdom and discernment is knowing how to handle that and move on.

I try to be a good Christian, but my spunky, mischievous nature throws people off sometimes. At least my own intentions are good. My purpose in all I do is to encourage people to think for themselves, to be authentic, and to find and spread good inspiration to others in every role I serve. Maybe I’m a good ambassador for Christ for some. Maybe I’m the anti-Christ for others. But at least I’m me, I’m honest about being me, and I am what I am by the grace of God, and His grace toward me is not in vain. And I’m trying my best to extend that grace to others.

Lord, help me to stand. Drama is better in fiction than it is in reality – unless you can turn it to gain wisdom and humor yourself, as I have chosen to do today.

That’s all today. Take care, and have a great rest of the week.

Bye!

5 Themes in Science Fiction

5/23/2018

Today, I’d like to explore five popular themes in science fiction. Some of these have been around for a while; and others are newer or have developed in different ways this decade. Let’s take a look at these themes, and my take on each of them.

Climate change. One theme you can’t escape is climate change. Kim Stanley Robinson uses this as a major theme of how the Earth will become nearly uninhabitable. It begins in his earlier books with an ice shelf breaking off Antarctica, which results in significant sea level rise that floods major coastal cities, and expands from there to pollution, increases in radiation, failing food production, and more violent weather systems. No wonder terraforming Mars becomes such an attractive option to his characters in his Mars Series (Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars)! But is it really a problem? My take is that it is, but it’s questionable how long it will be until we reach a point of no return. Obviously, we need to take steps to protect the planet now, but change comes slowly – both politically and environmentally. The effects of climate change are already upon us. The real question is, when do we reach a point of no return for preserving the planet?

Overpopulation. It’s a scientific fact that the Earth is overpopulated. Actually, we’re three times over optimum carrying capacity with 7 billion people and growing, and I can see the effects of this in my own home. Our county alone issued nearly 3,000 new housing permits in 2016-2017, along with countless other businesses opening in the area. The county is thrilled with the tax dollars from the urban sprawl, while the rest of us groan sitting in traffic on a highway system built for a 1950’s population. And you probably saw my social media posts on May 3 about the 10 car wreck that shut down I-20 for 12 hours. It literally disrupted traffic in the entire county, and parts of the adjacent county. And this is Columbia, South Carolina! You’d expect something like that to happen in Atlanta, or Phoenix!
Overpopulation is often tackled hand-in-hand with climate change, and it does seem that they’re tied together. With more people taxing our resources, it alters the planet that feeds into the biosystem. It’s all connected, and it’s undeniable that there are a lot more people in the world now than there were even a decade ago. Is it real? Absolutely. The problem is that every potential solution is considered unethical At best, it’s wrong to limit our freedom by mandating our bodies and families. At worst, go see The Avengers Infinity Wars. Nobody has the right to determine who gets to be born, who lives, and who dies. So what do we do? The only solution I see is in the next item.

Interstellar life/terraforming. Life in outer space has been a theme since sci-fi started, but lately it’s taken a turn from the outside coming in (aliens) to humanity going out. Obviously, we don’t have the technology to terraform moons in our solar system, or to build space stations to support non-scientific individuals. Even living in space presents mental and physiological problems that require a return to Earth. Can we come to a point where it’s possible to, say, live on Mars or Titan? I say maybe, but it’s a long way off, and with our exploding population we better find a way, because space and resources are running out Earthside.
As for aliens, I don’t think there’s really anybody out there, but it sure makes for fun stories.

Artificial intelligence. I recently got a great laugh out of a social media post that read “before we develop artificial intelligence, can we do something about natural stupidity?” Once I quit laughing, I realized that the answer is in the question, and it’s that AI is probably the answer to filling our intellectual gaps. We make jokes about Skynet from the Terminator movies enslaving humanity, but we’re usually doing it with a phone in our hand (or our pocket, at least). The truth is that we’re already dependent on technology, and that dependence is growing. I’d even go so far as to say that our evolution is heading toward the integration of man and machine. Is this AI? I think it’s a form of it, because the only way the machine can truly become sentient is to unite with a biological system (us). There’s no doubt that AI is already in development, and when it’s ready I feel certain that mankind will embrace it with open arms.
I’m no as sure about the concept of downloading our consciousness to AI, though, once we die. While it’s a nice concept, I don’t think we’ll achieve immortal life by downloading ourselves to a machine. At best, all it could do is emulate us. Without an active biological host, I don’t see how it could work – and frankly, I don’t want it to. Having a soul locked in the Internet – or any other digital network - is more frightening than Skynet!

Multiverse theory. The theory that there are parallel universes has been on the rise since the 1980’s, and it’s exploded with the proliferation of comic-books turned to movies. Multiverse theory is based on string theory, which proposes that reality is made up of various “string” that cross and intersect to create multiple possible universes beyond the dimensions we know of length, width, height, and time. If you watch a Marvel movie or a DC television show on The CW (The Flash is the main one that gets into multiverse theory), then you’re already familiar with this concept. I’m actually writing a novel right now based on this tentatively titled The Tenth Dimension, and as a writer I can tell you that while fascinating, it’s a tricky concept to work with. Modern story telling has enough with one reality to deal with. Add nine more realities (my research showed that current string theory hypothesizes 10 dimensions, but it might have increased in the past year), and keeping a straight storyline is downright mind boggling. Just ask my coworkers. I had sticky notes and pieces of paper tacked all over my cubicle wall last year while I was writing the rough draft of that novel just trying to sink it all in my brain and keep it straight!

But do I believe it? I’m not sure what I think. The concept that there are other “me’s” living different lives is interesting, but how does that mesh with being a unique individual? It’s so much in the theoretical realm that I’m not sure where I stand, but I will admit that it makes for great fiction. Bringing it to reality is a different story – and I’m pretty sure that’s way off in the future, beyond me and probably many future generations, at least.

Certainly, there are other themes that sci-fi tackles, but these are the main ones that I’ve seen recently. What do you think? Do you find the suspension of disbelief easier with some of these than with others? Let me know what you think here or on social media. As a writer and a reader, it’s fascinating to consider, and to discuss.

That's all today. Take care, and have a great rest of the week.

Bye!

3 Things Graduates Need to Know

5/17/2018

It’s graduation season! Colleges recently graduated a new group that are joining the workforce, and the high schools will follow suit in a few weeks. Advice abounds for those standing in front of open doors and a bright future on how to use their education to create a successful future. Most of that advice includes platitudes on how to seize on opportunities to achieve success in this world.
I’m not going to do that, because my purpose is different: I’m talking to you new graduates from 21 years in the future, and I can tell you something: your learning isn’t over; it’s just shifted to a different realm. Welcome to the school of hard knocks. Instead of advice, I’m going to give you three things that you really need: a realistic assessment of life, a choice, and a prayer. Buckle in, because this is what you don’t want to hear right now – and probably need to hear most of all.
The assessment: Life is going to kick you in the a**. That’s a fact for every human being on Earth. The nature of the universe is chaos, and it will show itself through people and circumstances frequently. It isn’t personal, and it isn’t karma of any kind (although it does seem that way when the knocks keep coming – hard – and you’d do anything to make them stop). It’s such a fact of life that it’s even in The Bible: “the race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11) I’m not trying to discourage you. Rather, I’m trying to prepare you for the inevitable. You can do your best, but sometimes things fall apart. Life is unpredictable. Your best preparation and planning go up in flames. Some things can’t be fixed. You just learn to live with them. And herein lies the next part:
A choice: When life kicks you, you can get bitter, or you can get better. In the 21 years since I graduated college, I’ve seen people rise from the ashes and recover from things that were considered irreparable, because they chose the “better” path. I’ve also seen people throw away great careers, homes, marriages, families, and friendships because they chose the “bitter” path. It’s amazing how this simple choice can define not just your perspective, but your entire life. People have told you that your choices will define your success, and the choices you make when you’re down are the best determinates of that. Do you choose to give thanks for what you have left, and gain wisdom from your experiences to build on what’s left to create a better future? Or do you focus on being a victim or revenge, looking to others to set things right, or to “balance the scales.” As you go through life, your definition of success will change, and that definition is largely based on which path you choose: better or bitter. If you aren’t flexible enough to mature and realize the reality of your expectations, then you’re doomed to that bitter path. Sometimes success isn’t about getting the big paycheck and the corner office. Sometimes it’s about washing your coffee mug and lunch dishes in the office kitchen at 4:55 on a Friday afternoon and saying “thank you Lord for bringing me to the end of a crazy week!” Life is better when you choose better, because success isn’t about circumstances: it’s about pursuing what brings you authentic balance, contentment, and joy. That isn’t always in the paycheck and job title! Your life isn’t just your job; it’s a combination of every role you have in life. Are you focused on being at the top, or at having all things in alignment with your full life priorities?
A prayer. The sermon at church this week was on the power of prayer, especially when we pray for other people. I realize this is not the news anybody wants to hear, especially if you’re just starting out on your own; however, I feel it’s important to know these things sooner rather than later so you’re better equipped to deal with them. And you’ve probably already had some experience with life’s hard knocks anyway. In fact, you probably wouldn’t be where you are if you hadn’t stood up to resistance, frustration, and failure. So in closing, I’d like to offer a prayer. This prayer isn’t just for graduates, though. It’s for every human being on the planet, because we all have our challenges, and we all need the power of this prayer to live our best life in this world. In truth, I didn’t come up with this prayer. I got it from, of all people, Stephen King in The Stand. It’s short, it’s simple, it’s easy to remember and call upon anytime you need it, and it’s authentically meant for each and every one of you:
Help us to be true, Lord. Help us to stand.
You know the strength of your faith. You know yourself. You know what’s right. If you really want to conquer this world, then the things you need the most are faith, dedication to wisdom, discernment, and the strength to stand firm against any person or circumstance that tries to knock you down. I pray for that faith, wisdom, discernment, and strength to come to you (and me!). The Lord will help you to stand and make you better, if that’s your true heart’s intention. I believe that it is.

40 Miles - A Move Prequel Story

5/13/2018

Today, I'd like to share another journal story with you. This one is titled "40 Miles," and it's a prequel to Move, my best selling mystery novel. I hope you enjoy it. For context, the characters, Ruby and Denise, work for an advertising agency in the small fictional town of Tanger Falls, Tennessee, which is located around the Smoky Mountain National Forest around the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area.

Actually, there was a motive in sharing this story in this entry. It's because The Tanger Falls Mystery Box Set will be free on Amazon on May 15-16. So if you enjoy this story, go pick up this box set with Move and Obsidian for absolutely free. It's a great summer read.

Enjoy, and have a great week!

40 Miles 4-27-18

A Move Prequel Story

“Come in!” Denise said, ushering Ruby in the apartment from the blowing rain.

“I came over as soon as I could put down my stuff and change, just like you asked,” Ruby said. “What’s up? It smells great in here.”

“That’s because it’s Final Friday Pizza Night!” Denise cheered, motioning to the salad, pizza and beer on the kitchen table in the nook area off the kitchen.

Ruby hugged her friend. “How thoughtful! Thank you. I guess you heard about the lunch kerfluffal at the office?”

“Who didn’t hear about Millie cancelling Final Friday lunch?”

“Didn’t you work from home today?”

“I did, but I had to run to the grocery store, and ran into Jake and Tatina at the grocery store deli. They told me Millie cancelled Final Friday lunch without telling anybody, and the entire staff had to go out to lunch.” She ushered Ruby to the table. “I worked in a pizza parlor while I was in college, so I thought I’d treat you to a homemade pizza.”

“Thank you! This really is a treat.” Ruby shook her head as she sat at the table and put a piece of pizza on her plate. “It’s bad enough that Millie overlooked a major request from a client, and terrorized the office over it all morning. She blamed all of us but me the most, of course, even though I gave her the specs three days ago and she approved them. Then she screws us out of our lunch tradition of eleven years, too. She said it’s a waste and a drain on our bottom line.”

Denise raised an eyebrow as she chewed on pizza. “Providing lunch to an in-office staff of ten people on the final Friday of the month is a drain on our resources? Are we losing money?”

Ruby took a swig of her beer. “No, she just doesn’t want to be bothered with it. Mr. Goodard was the one doing it, but since he’s so tied up with his mother being in a nursing home, he decided to pass it off to the management in the office. Millie is his executive secretary, so she had the final say.”

“I still can’t believe she didn’t give anybody notice that she wasn’t doing this.”

Ruby rolled her eyes. “She said it was presumptuous to assume that lunch would be provided today.”

“It’s presumptuous to assume that something that’s been done for eleven years will continue to happen when you haven’t been told anything has changed?” Denise asked. “How can you know to ask questions when you aren’t aware that you need to be asking them?”

Ruby pointed at Denise. “Good point. I’d have never done that. If I got that job, I’d have run an in-office survey to let people vote on where to order lunch on the final Friday of the month.” She looked down. “If only.”

Denise put her pizza crust down. “Getting passed up for that promotion still bothers you, doesn’t it?”

“Of course it does. It was the perfect opportunity. I still don’t understand why Mr. Goodard hired somebody outside of the office, when I’ve been there since the beginning and proved I’m more than qualified for the position.”

Denise reached for another slice of pizza. “What’s done is done. I won’t argue that Millie wasn’t a good choice for that position, though. Morale in the office has really dropped since she came on board. Simone is the only person who likes her, but somehow those two playing politics keeps winning over the rest of us. It’s a shame. We all used to get along so well, like a family. Millie is tearing that place apart.”

Ruby reached for another slice of pizza. “Maybe she’ll leave.”

Denise shrugged. “Who knows? But do you think they’d hire you if she did? I mean, if they passed you over before, what’s to say they won’t do it again?”

“What do you mean?” Ruby asked.

“Did you ever find out why they hired Millie over you?”

“All they’ll say is that they can’t talk about it.”

Denise snorted. “She’s probably friends with somebody. Mr. Goodard, or Simone. It sounds like connections and playing politics to me. And if that’s the case, she won’t leave. The connection will become apparent eventually, but the truth is that she got in, and she’s set. I wouldn’t count on her leaving. Not anytime soon, at least.”

“Maybe a position will open in the Knoxville office.”

Denise pointed at Ruby. “Actually, I had a meeting there yesterday, and heard there are some people planning to retire this spring and summer. One is Mr. Goodard’s Executive Assistant in the office. That’s a higher position than an Executive Secretary. Maybe you should apply for it and leave these jokers behind.”

Ruby sighed. “Everybody keeps telling me I should look into transferring to Knoxville, but Tanger Falls is my home.”

“No, this area of Tennessee is your home, and you’d still be in it in Knoxville. It’s only 40 miles, Ruby. It’s not that far.”

“It’s 40 miles through the mountains, which is nearly an hours drive.”

“More like 45 minutes, if you don’t mind the commute.” Denise said. “But what do we do here when we want to go out? I mean, really go out, not piddle around the tourist attractions in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge? We drive into Knoxville! You’d probably love living there and not want to come back here.”

“Knoxville is too big for me,” Ruby said. “I’d be overwhelmed. I usually rush back here as soon as I can when we make those trips.”

“You’ve never given yourself a chance to get used to it,” Denise said. “Come on, Ruby. Your mother has passed and your father remarried and moved to Atlanta. What’s keeping you in this specific area?”

Ruby sighed. “I don’t know. I don’t like change.”

“Change is happening.” Denise said. “Do you think I went into graphic design to be a designer in a small tourist town in Tennessee? No, my vision was on bigger. I wanted to be in New York, or LA, doing the big stuff. But that wasn’t a realistic expectation, and when I opened myself up to other things, I found beauty and purpose here. “ She paused. “I see why you love it here. It’s beautiful, without the crowds or fast, chaotic pace of a big city. Knoxville is big, but it isn’t so huge that you’d be overwhelmed. Plus, you’d be near the University of Tennessee, and the company provides tuition assistance. You could finally go back to get your bachelor’s degree, like you planned before your mother got sick and died. And you’d have a better job than is available here. Think about it. You could be an Executive Assistant to the owner of the company, not piddling around in a branch office. That’s more than you ever expected.” She smiled. “Why not take charge of the change? Your best life could only be 40 miles away!”

“It’s been so long. I just don’t know,” Ruby said. “I’ll think about it. I know you’re right. Things aren’t the same as they were. I keep hoping that Millie will wise up and conform to our culture so we can go back to how it was.”

Denise took a deep drink of her beer. “I think you need to face the fact that things have changed for good, and there’s no going back. The question is, what path do you want to take forward? Do you want this, or do you want something better?”

“I want something better,” Ruby said, “I just don’t know how that happens.”

“That’s natural. You’ve had setbacks, but you can rise again. You just need some time to open your mind, heart, and soul to opportunity.” Denise stared at Ruby. “Can you do that, Ruby? There are opportunities coming open. Heck, the company spring picnic is next week. Why not consider that an opportunity to feel out some of the Knoxville staff for opportunities?”

Ruby thought. “Mr. Goodard has asked me about transfers a few times. Maybe this is an opportunity. And even if I don’t move, maybe somebody from this office will move, and I can move up right here.”

Denise sighed. “Whatever works.” She raised her beer glass. “To our final Final Friday!”

Ruby clinked her glass with Denise’s, her eyes shining. “To Final Friday!” She drank. “Oh yes, and whatever works!”

Denise sighed as she picked up her slice of pizza, despite the sinking feeling in her stomach. She feared things were about to get ugly, and this Friday was truly the last time before everything changed forever.

And all because Ruby wouldn’t go 40 miles to find her fate.

Mental Health Time!

5/3/2018

Hi all, just a note to let you know I’m taking a brief break from the blog. Things are very busy right now, and finding a spare minute is a rare luxury these days. May is typically our busiest month of the year, and this year is no exception. My calendar app has so many dots on it that it looks like it has chicken pox. I’ve been running all day, every day, and these are the first creative words I’ve had time to write in a week.

I’m trying to do the right thing, and find appropriate time management routines to implement during this busy season. However, that takes some time and reflection. I can’t forge on and do everything, like I did last year and exhausted myself. But I also can’t shut everything down and only do what I must like I did the year before, or I get frustrated with having my entire life dictated by a schedule and not having time or space for what I want in life. So this year, I’m aiming for the middle by being proactive with my schedule/activity level, and insisting on some time outs for some of what I want in my life.

For now, I’m going to take the weekend and next week to deeply evaluate where things are at, and how to best manage them. Remember how we’d take the “mental health days” when we were in school, and things got a bit overwhelming? I’m taking the grown-up equivalent, but this will be more like 10 days or so to evaluate and establish some order and priorities. So there won’t be another blog at least for a couple of weeks. I want you to know so you won’t give up on me. I’ll be back; I just need some time to throw a lasso around my life and reign it in. Nothing is bad or wrong – in fact, things are rolling along the best they can, but at a much higher activity level than usual. I need to implement some higher management skills to make sure it all stays on track without wearing me out or falling apart. When you have to leave sticky notes all over your house and car to remind you to do routine things because your memory retention is shot, then it’s time to take action to get things balanced! And those notes are in addition to the reminders on my phone for appointments, meetings, and the “thoughtful gestures” that need to happen with multiple celebrations this month. May is traditionally a month of blessing and abundance that keeps us running!

Someday, either the breakthrough or retirement will come. Probably both will happen simultaneously, with the wacky luck I have. Until then, I have to live the life I have to the best of my ability. We all have to do that. Perhaps my pondering will reveal some wisdom that I can share with you in future blog entries to help you through days like this.
But at least it’s good busy. Nobody wants or needs bad busy.

In closing, I do have a small favor to ask of you, and there’s something in it for you. The Earthside Trilogy is entered in The Kindle Book Awards, and I’m asking that you vote for it in the Reader’s Choice Award. Voting enters you for a chance to win an 8’ Kindle Fire or a $25 Amazon gift card. You can click here to vote for The Earthside Trilogy in the sci-fi category. The links are also on the front page of the website, and I have posts pinned on Twitter and my Facebook fan page. And as always, I thank you for your support of my writing, and hope my novels and stories provide meaning and inspiration for improvement in your own life.

That’s all today. Take care. Have a Happy Friday tomorrow, a wonderful weekend, and a great next week. I’ll return, hopefully with a better balanced and rejuvenated mind.

Bye!

Yep, I'm an Anti-Christ

5 Themes in Science Fiction

3 Things Graduates Need to Know

40 Miles - A Move Prequel Story

Mental Health Time!

Escape Reality

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