Blog Archives

Summer Writing Project

4/30/2013

It figures. Yesterday was a chaotic day from hell and what happens?

I have an idea for a novella.

Isn't that the way? You have a day when it's all hitting the fan and suddenly your muse decides to return from it's Grand Canyon vacation, or wherever the heck he was anyway.

It actually started out as a short story. I had to take my laptop to work for a meeting and decided to write a rough draft of this vague idea I had for a sci-fi story. I spent the entire hour writing and still wasn't satisfied. It was while I was hustling through the afternoon portion of the chaos that it hit me: What I just wrote was part of a bigger story. So I dug up some of my research from when I wrote Splinter. I brainstormed. And darn if I didn't come up with an outline by the time I left for work today.

The good news is that the story is set in the Jovan system just like Splinter, so I don't need to do any additional research. Well, that I know of now, anyway. You know how things pop up as you write. But still, I can reuse a lot of it and many of the pieces are in place. I'm so excited! I think this will be my summer writing project. And you know me - I'm most content when I'm working on a writing project.

Here's the basic outline I came up with:

Prologue - History of the future

1. Jovan Council discovers a nuclear weapon has been detonated on Earth & the magnetosphere is showing signs of shifting.

2. Council reviews/debates consequences. Speculates on causes. Decides to ban further immigration from Earth due to radiation & uncertain political situation.

3. Ship openly goes to Earth to deliver sentence.

4. Return to Jovan system to confirm the mission is complete.

Epilogue - Earth's fate.

This is general and will likely be changed by the time I finish part 1. Still, it's a plan to work from, and a plan is good. Truth is, I don't even have a working title, and I'm still not sure what Earth's fate will be. I suppose it depends on whether I'm having a good day or a bad day when I get around to writing that part :)

I'd like to keep this in the range of a novella; perhaps 20,000 - 25,000 words. I'd like for it to be longer than Quarantine but not a full length novel. I need to get some more "quick reads" out there for readers. People seem to enjoy those. Since it's so short, I plan to self-publish this piece.

Of course, I'll keep you updated on my progress and will no doubt share excerpts as it progresses.

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

Bye!

Things More Interesting Than the Royal Pregnancy

4/26/2013

OMG, Kate Middleton stepped out in her first maternity outfit. A royal pregnancy! Is there anything more exciting?

Um yes, there actually is.

Two years ago, I wrote a blog entry titled “Things More Interesting Than the Royal Wedding” and it was probably one of my highest viewed blogs. Which surprised me, really, since it was nothing more than a rambling of things I found more interesting than royal nuptials. Still, I suppose it speaks to the point that we all have our opinions on what we deem as “interesting.” Well, now they’re expecting a baby and it’s all over the grocery store newsstands. So here I am again, this time with an entry of things more interesting than the royal pregnancy. Because I’m not a royal watcher myself, but I do have my eye on:

1.     Iron Man 3. Come on, you know you want to see it after the breathtaking spectacle that was The Avengers last summer. We all want to know what’s up in the superhero world a year after we were saved from Loki’s shenanagins with the tesseract. We also want to know what was up with that last scene. It hinted at something unpleasant coming to Earth. What was it?

2.      Star Trek – Into Darkness. It’s not just for Trekkie nerds anymore. J.J. Abrams elevated the Star Trek franchise to new heights – and popularity – with his magnificent rendition of the original crew in 2009’s Star Trek, and the previews alone make it clear that the bar has been raised. It will be a special effects extravanganza to say the least, and since Abrams rewrote the history of the Trek universe with the destruction of Vulcan in the last movie, who knows what adventures they’ll find next?

3.      Fast and Furious 6. There's nothing quite like it. The characters. The cars. The driving scenes. Wow! I wonder what the gang is up to now?

4.      Breaking Bad, Season 5. It kicks off August 11th. Can you believe it? After 4 seasons of chasing, Hank is onto Walter White being the elusive Heisenburg he’s been searching for! And this is the final season for the series, so there are no limits to where this could go by the big finale.

5.      The College World Series. It might surprise you to know that I do like college baseball, but I usually don’t start following it until we get to the regionals and super-regionals. The big questions is, how far will the University of South Carolina go under a new coach? Ray Tanner left last season to take over as Athletic Director, but the team is still going strong. The won  2 college world series in a row and came so close to a 3-peat last year. It’ll be interesting to see how they do with a new leader this year.

6.     Thor 2 - The Dark World. I loved the first Thor movie and this one looks like it’s bigger, better, and more of, well, everything. Plus, I must admit that Thor is my favorite Avenger and Loki is my favorite villain. I mean folks, watch that trailer. Is that not awesome?

7.      The end of the world is just the beginning. My sci-fi novel, Splinter, is scheduled for release through Whiskey Creek Press in November. Keep an eye on this website for information this fall.

8. The Hobbit – The Desolation of Smaug. I love fantasy. I love J.R.R. Tolkein. I love The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. And I love dragons. I think you see how this equation works for me.

So sorry folks, but I just don’t have time to track the royal pregnancy. I wish them the best, but I’m far removed from that and have a life of my own to attend to. Plus, there are so many other interesting things going on and I simply have to focus my attention on what matters. In my corner of the world, anyway.

That’s all today. Take care and have a good week.

Bye!

The Double Edged Sword of Reality

4/20/2013

To say it's been a hell of a week would be a gross understatement. This week, Americans have been beat, bludgeoned, and bloodied by the hard reality that there are time when life can suck even when you live in the greatest nation in the world. I just read a news report saying that it's been a chaotic week for the nation, and there's absolutely no arguing that. Likewise, there's no getting away from it. Terrorist bombings, manhunts, grounded flights, weather woes, fertilizer plant explosions, poision laced letters to politicians, and then a 23 hour hunt as they closed in on the terrorists responsible for the bombings that opened this week. The news has been overwhelming this week and they're right - there's no turning it off. Everywhere you go, there it is. I remember reading a post on Facebook from someone at Charlotte-Douglas Airport saying it was creepy for people to be gathered around televisions like that and I can certainly understand why. To be at home watching all of this unfold is one thing. To be away from home, seperated from the people, places and things you love, probably adds a sense of isolation.

An yet, isn't that reality? Sometimes it keeps kicking you over and over. Rick said something yesterday about how it seems that the harder it is, the harder it gets. I have to agree. For some reason, it seems that once that ball starts rolling, it doesn't know when to quit. The bad news keeps rolling in. You want to hide, but you can't. It hunts you down. It finds you.

It is a double edged thing, though. Throughout this tragedy, consider how you've seen people come together to help and comfort one another. Consider the law enforcement officers working tirelessly to ensure that the culprits behind the bombings were caught so the people of Boston could feel secure again. Consider the extraordinary steps taken to ensure that nobody was hurt by those poisioned letters. Consider the tireless efforts of the emergency responders to the explosion in Texas. Consider the outpouring of sympathy, support, and encouragement that's been offered.

We've learned a lot about ourselves as Americans this week. We've learned that we aren't afraid and we'll stop at nothing to find and apprehend those that threaten us. We've learned to be compassionate, giving, and sympathetic. We've learned to be very mindful of our surroundings, and that we all have a role to play in the safety and security of our society. We've learned that we're stronger than we imagined. We've learned how much we've grown since 9-11 which, it turns out, is exponentially.

Reality is a double edged sword. It hurts, but the truth it brings also heals and helps us to become better people. Now we must move on from this hellish week and decide what we're going to with what we've learned from all of this.

One things for sure: We are not afraid and we won't be terrorized in our own homes. Take heart in knowing that it seems true that the good will always win over the bad. It might lose battles here and there, but I think last night's events in Boston prove that it will win the war.

That's all today. Have a great weekend and here's hoping next week is MUCH better for us all!

Bye!

Do This At Your Own Risk

4/18/2013

Okay folks, I want to open this by saying that this is not a “shame on you” entry. I know I’m going up against things that have existed since the dawn of time, and I don’t pretend that this entry will open eyes and magically change the world. I’m merely trying to raise awareness of unrecognized perils to something that we all do, and hope it will lead to some wisdom in actions. Likely not, but you can’t plead ignorance after reading this entry.

I’ll cut to the chase. We all play favorites. It’s not a “thing” limited to certain places or relationships. We do it all the time and we do it everywhere. It happens in families (you know it does). It happens at work. It happens at church. It happens in clubs, societies, sororities, classrooms, emergency rooms, waiting rooms – hell, I’ve even seen it happen at the county dump when the cute blonde in the sporty car was waved ahead of me to empty trash. Call it “favoritism.” Call it “the good old boy system.” Call it “cliques” or “popularity contests.” Call it whatever you want. It happens.

I know everybody reading this is shouting and saying “oh hell no.” Oh hell yes. Let’s drop the pretense and b.s. for just a few minutes. I promise not to go on too long and you can resume the “formalities” momentarily. Besides, I’m trying to help you here. At least in my own, strip-off-the-nonsense-and-call-it-like-it-is way. And remember, I said we’re all guilty. Me too. You too. Everybody too. Even my birds have their “favorite humans.” This could well precede not only time and space, but all of creation. Partiality happens. There’s no stopping it.

It’s a simple fact that yes, we are predisposed to react more favorably to some people and situations than others. It’s personality – some just go together better than others. It’s also life experience – we relate better to those that have faced similar experiences or have a similar lifestyle. There are complex nature/nurture forces at play that make us more receptive and gracious toward some people than others. Likewise, there are some types we throw up our guard against. I mentioned in the last entry that it miffs me that charisma wins over character so much – that’s because I’ve been the victim of people using charisma to hide serious character flaws several times. Their “God bless us every one” demeanor was hiding a nasty temper bent on utter annihilation. So naturally, I don’t trust “popular” people because I see the red lightsaber just waiting to stab me.

That being said, it happens. Despite modern science, I doubt we ever unlock the secrets of the human personality. It’s too complex and this is one of those things that you can’t account for. We naturally like some people better than others. And conversely, we naturally dislike those that strike us unfavorably. There’s no cure for it. You can’t fix it and people are going to play favorites. It’s going to happen. Now here’s where we run into the problem:

Nobody likes being a “not favorite.” Anytime you complement somebody, anytime you recognize somebody, anytime you put someone on a pedestal or offer public praise or thanks, then other people will feel left out and perceive it as a slight. Because no man is an island and no matter how wonderful Mr. or Miss Wonderful is, it’s unlikely they did it on their own. And, sad to say, some people are very good at getting other people to do everything and having the credit funneled directly to their feet. But that’s another entry for another day. Recognition – and especially public recognition – can open a nasty can of worms that you don’t even know until they’re crawling up your leg. At best, the people you failed to recognize will quit on you, and you’re setting your favorite to the test of picking up the load. At worst, they’ll turn on you. And God help you if it’s a former favorite that you’ve changed your mind about and they know stuff. Ouch.

So does that mean public recognition of good service should be banned? Not at all. I’m just saying that if you want the dog to stay in the yard, then you need to throw them a bone. And not just the head of the pack – everyone in the yard needs a bone. So if you’re going to thank people, be sure that you take off what I call the “swell guy” blinders and open your eyes to everybody. Don’t hold one person up unless you have darn strong justification to do it. And going the extra mile to find out what speaks to a person can also help. Some people don’t want public recognition. My colleagues are smart enough to know an occasional “thank you,” showing interest in my writing, and a bar-b-que luncheon once or twice a year will keep me from squawking like a pissed off parakeet. Which is hilarious, because it didn’t take them long to figure that out and my former colleagues never did get it. Some things are a mystery because you choose not to put forth the two seconds to notice, eh?

My point is this – we all play favorites, but it helps to check yourself every now and then. Showing favoritism is generally considered impolite,; and I know we don’t care for etiquette in the 21st century, but this is a formality that perhaps needs to be reinstated. Did you notice in the paragraph above that I was open to what types I’m not partial to, but I didn’t mention what types I am partial to? No way I’m telling that. But at least you know what raises my defenses, so there’s my attempt at leveling the playing field. Now you know a trigger to avoid with me.

That being said, it might behoove you to quietly put your favorites in your inner circle and exercise discretion in your dealings. Don’t let it show. Throw the non-favorites something every now and then. And for goodness sake, if you do a public acknowledgement and get wind that somebody feels slighted, please take Dale Carnige’s advice to humbly apologize and rectify the situation. Digging in your heels and fighting to justify yourself won’t win friends or influence people. Just say “sorry, I am grateful for you and will be glad to acknowledge it with an apology for leaving you out,” do it, and let it go. That’s character and will close out the situation much faster that “well I did it because they did la de dah de dah and where were you then?”

And as for the rest of us, give us a bar-b-que luncheon. Yea, that’ll shut us up. For a minute.

That’s all today. You may now resume the formalities of pretending like we modern folks don’t do this crap.

Bye!

Terrorism?

4/15/2013

It goes without saying that pretty much the only news story today is the twin bombings at the Boston Marathon. The President isn't saying "terrorism," but the media certainly is. Whether or not it's a terrorist act will be confirmed soon, I'm sure. No doubt, all eyes will be on this for a while to come.

You know what's really sad, though, besides the fact that it happened? It's that we seem to be getting used to this. We all know the drill. Glue it to the news networks. Watch the President's statement. Every newscast for at least 2 weeks focused on the unfolding investigation. Homeland Security warnings. FBI checking it out. Check the websites throughout the day for breaking news. Wait for the politicians to make statements, which will certainly be forthcoming. I'm already hearing chatter on social media about what political agendas might rise out of this.

Some would say it's sick, and they're certainly right. But more important than that, I think it's just sad. It's sad that we live in a time when the danger of an attack is imminent. I can certainly say there doesn't seem to be as much of a shock factor to this. Oh, people are surprised, but just that it was pulled off. You don't hear people say "who would do this?" or "why?" anymore. Those questions drifted away with 9-11. We know there are people out there wanting to kill us for no reason other than we're American's. The question is, who did it this time?

We certainly take it seriously, as well we should. But it's bad that it's become a way of life. Something we have to look over our shoulders over. Something we had to create an agency to focus on. Remember when the Department of Homeland Security didn't exist? I do. Those days are gone.

It's sad. Sad but true.

Our prayers go out to all of those in Boston. I'm so sorry for this. It sucks. I pray the Lord will be your healing, strength, and comfort. I also pray for our leaders and those investigating this case and that they'll find who did this and bring it to closure soon.

That's all today. Take care everybody.

Bye!

Questions Without Answers

4/12/2013

It’s been one of those weeks where it seems like every question is a hard one, and unfortunately I’ve been designated as the “go to” person for those thorny questions that just don’t have a clear answer. I’m not sure how I got this honor. People say I’m smart, but I think it might have more to do with the fact that I’m not afraid to make up an answer if “I don’t know” won’t do. And of course, it often won’t. Hence, my inventive instincts kick in and alas, the unanswerable continues to come to me for an answer. I don’t know why others aren’t comfortable taking what they know and extrapolating an answer. Maybe it’s my personality. Or maybe it’s because I’m not afraid to do it.

Still, despite my creative instincts, there are still some things that I just don’t get. Don’t call me a “know it all” yet people, because I don’t understand:

1.      Why charisma wins popularity but integrity isolates. I know people swarming with friends that don’t do anything for anybody but the almighty “I” and others that give and give, and people tell them it’s never good enough. Real story: I can tell you of instances when I took off work to go to funerals or to visit people when they were sick. “Thanks!” they said, but once they recovered I was relegated back to my place on the Christmas card list while they ran right back to their buddies that were too busy and couldn’t be bothered with “using their leave like that” or dropping a card in the mail. Why was my time out not good enough but their casual “oh, sorry for your loss” when you went back to work okay?

2.     Why is it fine for some people to “be like that” but others need to get their act together. This harkens to my last entry about how it seems people like some people and their problems more than other people and their problems. An undependable person that you can’t trust to show up when they say they will is thought of as a “swell guy” because he has that charisma and can light up a room with cheerful banter. “Yea he’s not dependable, but that’s just him!” People say. But his shy neighbor that always shows up when he’s needed is “shady” because “I just don’t know if I can trust him. He really needs to be more open and honest with people.” I tell you; it seems that character doesn’t matter anymore. Why doesn't "swell guy" need to clean up his act and keep his word? And better yet, why do people get angry and defensive if you even hint at such a thing? It seems to me like people pick their friends arbitrarily and they won’t get facts get in the way of what they want to believe.

3.      What's up with cliques? Why, people? They’re useless. You don’t have to be in one to have friends. I know because I’m not a group or clique person and I get along with people just fine. In fact, if I ask people questions then they usually tell me things because they know I’m not going to gossip or use it to create drama. Which brings me to my next item …

4.      Gossip and drama. OMG. Why even bother? I have enough to deal with without having drama stirred up by people being sensitive and/no nosy. As the saying goes, nobody’s got time for that. At least I don’t.

5.      Why are we quick to assume the worst of those we know and the best of strangers? Some people do. Here’s a recent conversation I had:

Them: “There was a bag in my yard this morning! Why would my neighbor throw their trash in my yard?”

Me: “You saw them do it? Why didn’t you ask them about it?”

Them: “No! I mean, it was between our houses. Do you think they pushed it on my side?”

Me: “So you’ve counted out that a stranger driving by might have thrown it out of their car and it blew into your yard?”

Them: “Oh. I didn’t think about that.” Pause. “Could that happen?”

Me: “I’ve seen bags blow in my yard a lot and its windy out today. But hey, you know your neighbor. If you think they did it …”

Them: “No! They probably wouldn't ... I mean, it probably blew in my yard.”

Why were they quick to blame the neighbor and count out a stranger being an igit? I don’t know. And yet, this is a small example of what I see often. People are harsh with those they claim to love and will grant eternity’s grace to strangers. It seems to me it should be the other way around: suspect the stranger, assume the best of the inner circles. But who am I to say? It seems human nature is drifting toward assuming the worst in a lot of cases. We see nefarious intentions everywhere.

6.      The weatherman can be wrong 50% of the time (or more) and keep a job. Could you keep your job with a record like that?

7.      Why does everybody want Friday off? Friday is my easy, catch up day because of staff shortages and slower calls/emails/mail. I want Monday off. That’s the day everybody comes back and it hits the fan.

8.      Yield signs. I saw somebody stop at one a week ago for the first time in I can’t remember when. People ignore them. We need to replace them with Stop signs.

9.    Wearing a watch on an airplane when you’re crossing time zones. I learned the futility of this when I went to Arizona. I think I was the only one on the plane wearing one. And yet, I was pestered to death. “What time is it in Charlotte? How long have we been in the air? How much longer till we land?” Why ask me these questions? The watch doesn’t control time and its ability to tell it was compromised. Next time, I don’t wear it or hide it in my carry on. Geeze.

10.  Why do thermostats even have settings below 70 degrees or over 75 degrees? You know people get uncomfortable at temperatures outside that range. Choices, schmoices. Build HVAC systems for reality, folks!

And finally:

11.  Why is everybody wearing yellow today? I’ll wear my new yellow shirt, I thought this morning. Then I got here and saw about 10 people coming in wearing yellow. What’s up with that?

I don’t know. These are some of life’s questions that I can’t even hazard a guess. So I suppose my inventive instincts aren’t that sharp after all. But maybe they do still work to a degree, because the beauty of being a writer is that I can pass the questions I can’t answer on to you, the reader, and let you be the judge. Heh heh heh.

That’s all today. Happy Friday to you. Have a great weekend.

Bye!

Something On My Mind

4/6/2013

Okay folks, this is my blog and today, I feel compelled to share something that has been on my mind for about a month or so. I held back because I wanted to make sure I wasn't being overly-sensitive or taking things out of context, but in reflection and talking with some others, I realize that it's completely within the bounds or normal, how shall I put it - pondering. Yea, that's a diplomatic way to say it.

I've known a number of people that have recently faced trials and life changes similar to the ones I faced a few years ago. Of course, I can relate to their struggles quite well, having been through something similar not too long ago. But one thing that rubs me kind of wrong is that a few years ago, people were quite bold to tell me to get my crap together and move on. I heard a lot of "if I were you" and "you need to get things under control" and "that's just life, you have to be strong and work your way through." I realize this is all true, of course - life throws you curveballs and the only way around is through. I knew that at the time and the truth of that still rings loud and clear. It seems, though, that when the situation goes from "it sucks to be you" to being the one it sucks for, well, that's different.

I asked Rick recently if this realization seemed harsh or hypocritical and he said (exact words): "No. People weren't afraid to get in your face and tell you to get it together. They made it clear that you were to make it stop immediately."

Okay, so it's not just me. There is a level of hypocricy going on.

I could get angry. I could get very frustrated and call people on it. But the truth is, I haven't had to. While nobody's come to me and said "oops, well I guess you aren't the only one reality can kick in the a**" their contrite attitude has clearly indicated that they finally understand what I was trying to communicate before: That it's not so easy when you're in the middle of it. Oops, you can't make things go back to what they are because you aren't God. Oops, you can't force other people to change. Oops, you can't just say "stop" and the universe will heed your call. That big, bad boldness is fine when you're on the mountaintop, but not so practical when you're in the valley and a flood is threatening.

I see that they get it, and I don't think their circumstances are the result of a lack of sympathy at my plight, or anybody elses'. Rather, I think it's the universal truth that reality is an equal opportunity smacker. It will knock us all down and bring us to a humility that we never imagined we'd have to face. I know I've had to become a new person from my own experiences. I had to completely change the way I thought about EVERYTHING and that's the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Sometimes, I still have to remind myself to case off those old thoughts and embrace the new. It isn't easy, but to refuse would have been to sentence myself to a life of misery and depression, something that I simply won't have or allow in my life. If it's change my thinking to stay happy or hold to my old thoughts in a life that doesn't fit any more and resign myself to depression and misery, I'll change.

We all have to make that decision at some point. It's going to happen. C.S. Lewis called it The Law of Undulation in The Screwtape Letters, and I believe this is one of the most often ignored truths of life in this world just because it makes us uncomfortable and we don't like it. Life is a series of peaks and valleys. We will have times when we're on top of the world, but eventually the pendulum swings and we find outselves with the world on top of us. Sure, sometimes it's the result of bad decision making, but just as often it's the result of things beyond our control: things change. People change. Circumstances change. As The Bible says, "time and chance happen to them all" (Ecclesiastes 9:11). And all you can do is deal with it, for however long it goes on, until you work your way through to the other side.

So no, I'm not mad at people. Rather, I hate to see them go through such times because I know the pain they fell. It's not fun and I pray it passes for them. That being said, I would like to share some things I noticed going through my own trials that I hope will give others facing hard times some comfort or guidance in navigating their way through the valley:

1. Be honest, first with yourself and then with others. The sooner you face that life is crap for you right now, the quicker you'll find your way through. But also realize the truth that this too shall pass and you won't be here forever. There's always hope. Likewise, don't be ashamed to admit that life isn't roses, unicorns and rainbows. Don't be afraid to tell people, when you must, that things are rough, but you're doing your best to work through. Now that being said;

2. Use discernment in who and what you share. You need to be honest with people, but they also don't need to know every single thing going on in your life. This is especially true when dealing with sensitive family matters. I'm sorry to say it, but there are some people that won't get it and others that will use it against you to embarass you later. I think we've all had those instances where you shared something personal with a friend because you needed to vent, and they brought it up VERY publically later to get a laugh or gain what I call "cool points" with others that they've decided they like better since you shared your woes with them. Keep your inner circle limited to a very few people and even then, use discernment. You don't have to tell everything, nor should you. It's fine to say "yea, I'm dealing with some issues with myself/ job/health/at home right now, but I'm working through and it will be okay. I just need an extra dose of grace and patience right now," and leave it at that. You aren't on reality tv, so you don't need to act like it.

3. Don't be afraid to seek outside advice. The problem with keeping it in your inner circle is that they are biased. They aren't going to be able to fully see the situation and sometimes their advice, although well meaning, will be off base because of the tendency to see what they want/like best (for whatever reasons). It's perfectly reasonable to go to a pastor, therapist, or vocational rehab service, even if just once, to get a clear perspective on the situation as a whole so you can understand how to best proceed. Just be forewarned that those closest to you may take a level of offence. I did this a few years ago and was told by a few "well, I'm sorry we all let you down so much that you had to go to a stranger for help." That's not the case at all. I was realistic enough to know I was too beat and broken to see it logically on my own and that those close to me couldn't see past my own pain (and their pain) to see it clearly either. I was that serious about dealing with things right the first time so we could all move on. A good barometer of knowing when to seek outside counsel is this: if you feel absolutely stuck and paralyzed with no way out, you need a third party intervention. It doesn't mean you're weak. It means you're strong enough to face all the ugliness of reality and have the determination to work it out correctly, no matter what.

4. Realize that some people "just won't get it" and decide right now if you are able to forgive them. General rule: if somebody prefaces a statement with "if I were you..." cut them off right away. They aren't you and that statement means "I don't know what the hell I'm talking about, but I want to say something so here it is." Likewise, and this isn't flattering but it's absolutely true: Sometimes people are more sympathetic to others because they like them and their situations better than they like you and your situations. Okay, maybe that's harsh, but people are biased based on their own experiences, and what this means is that they'll come down harder on you because there's something in your situation they really hate but they'll be more sympathetic to another facing something similar because they like or relate to something in their situation more. We're all hypocrites, folks,and we all judge. It's not right, but it's true. You have to make the decision to forgive it and move on or you'll stay stuck in the mire of your own problems a lot longer than necessary.

5. There is one, universal solution to all problems. This is the good news, but it isn't easy news. That universal solution is do the right thing. All the time. No matter how hard it is, how much it hurts, who gets angry, or how tired you get. No matter what. And don't stop doing the right thing ever. It might hurt like hell, piss people off, and seem to destroy your life but trust me, it's temporary. Because "we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28). Doing right always leads to right in the end. Some battles may be lost, but the war will be won. But taking shortcuts, doing things the easy way, or ignoring things and hoping they will go away will prolong the war indefinitely. It literally took two and a half years for me to get my life settled into something that could be called "normal," but I'm convinced the struggled would still be ongoing if I didn't dig in my heels and determine that I would do things right, no matter how hard I had to work, how tired I got, who got mad at me, or how much it hurt. Let me tell you, it doesn't hurt anymore.

So take it from one that actually did all of these things - it works. You have to be stronger than you imagined possible, but it works.

Am I mad at my realizations? No. People aren't perfect and I made the decision long ago that I wasn't going to get angry or hold grudges. There's no point in it. My mission was to recreate my life and move on in the abundance and blessing I could find in it, and I am. Now I pray that others going through hard times will find the strength to move through and to find their own blessings and abundance on the other side of their trials.

And there is the other side, folks. God promises that there's always hope. I'm living proof. So keep fighting on to do what's right, and it will be fine. That's a promise you can count on.

That's all today. Take care and have a good weekend.

Bye!

Day Off

4/5/2013

Sometimes, you just need to take a day off to escape the day to day grind. I did that today to spend some time with Rick on his last day off for Spring Break. I'm glad I did it. Sure, we had to get up to take the birds to the vet for their annual checkup. They got a clean bill of health, and wing and nail trims too, by the way (check out their take on it over at Conure Corner). But after that, it was free time. Nothing major really - we went to Olive Garden for lunch, bought the birds some "consolation toys" and other supplies, and took a walk on Riverfront Park. But sometimes, it's good to have a slow day. I forgot what it was like to be bored. It's a feeling I don't often have.

You can see pictures from our walk along the Riverfront Park in Columbia, SC on Flickr. That is a nifty website. I've really enjoyed it since creating the account during our trip to Arizona last month. I've never been one that was big on pictures, but between getting an iPhone and creating that account, I find myself taking more of them. It's easy to take them on the phone, and to organize them through the website. Everybody can be a photographer these days. Well, not everybody. Truthfully, I get lucky every now and then and get a really good shot but otherwise, my pictures are okay. The delete button makes me look better at it than I really am.

Anyway, it was good to have a Friday off to slow down the pace. Holidays and vacations are nice, but sometimes you need to have a "time out" to just be at home and exist.

That's all today. Happy Friday to you. Have a great weekend.

Bye!

Post Novel Paralysis

4/3/2013

I had to go in yesterday to get the bloodwork for my annual physical done yesterday. Test, bah. I know what’s wrong with me, and I don’t need to be picked, probed, prodded, scanned, or sampled to figure it out. I have PNP - Post Novel Paralysis. I haven’t been able to write anything new since I published Move and Feathered Frenzy. My muse is worn out. This isn’t uncommon after finishing a major project, and considering that I had 2 writing projects in progress for a while, well, I probably drove my poor muse near death’s door.

Most people call it “writer’s block,” but this is different. This is a kind of block that comes when you drain the well dry, and it’s time to find a new approach. All stories are about the protagonist coming under attack and having to change, but I think I’ve beat the “forced life change” thing to death. Of course, that’s been a theme of late because my life was rearranged a few years ago. But that’s all over now and things are rolling along again. I’m back into the mundane details of day to day life and, I suppose, need to remember how I found inspiration in that before. I know I did it. Battleground Earth, Quarantine, Resonance, Blurry and Anywhere But Here were written prior to my job/life shift in 2010, as well as several devotionals and a few short stories that got some attention online.

Not that I’m asking for more drama, chaos, or life kicking me in the rear. As the saying around here goes, “nobody’s got time for that!” Really, who needs it? My paradigm has shifted, rearranged, changed, moved, and now the foundation is set. The bruises from where life kicked me in the rear finally healed. I worked harder than I knew I was capable of to get the “sucks to be you” out of my life. Let that crap keep moving right along out of here, thank you very much.

The truth is, there’s drama in the mundane. You don’t see it when you’re going through major changes or a crisis because you don’t have the time or energy to worry about it – and frankly, the consequences of bad decisions are aggravating as hell and nothing but an unwanted nuisance when have to change your life. I suppose that once the storm has passed then it takes a while to open your eyes to see the smaller details that are moving everyday life along. That seems to be where my issue is.

I know it seems silly, and certainly you don’t have any business getting involved in other peoples’ problems. It’s also not wise to get bogged down in the minutiae of everyday aggravations in your own life. But these things can have meaning and lead to growth too; not the big spurts or paradigm shifts I spoke of earlier, but in the slow, almost imperceptible movement of everyday life, like sand washing off the shore. This is where the inspiration for my renewed venture into short stories will come from, and this is where I must learn to regain my vision and my inspiration.

So that’s my explanation for how I can travel from Myrtle Beach, SC to The Grand Canyon in Arizona in a months’ time and still have bumkus for inspiration. I have Post Novel Paralysis and those things were too big for me to put into the perspective of a fiction context now. I have to reflect more on the everyday details, and this is a lesson that only comes from the day to day grind of life.

That’s all today. Have a great rest of the week.

Bye!