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Cathy C. Hallhttps://cathychall.wordpress.com/I write, write, write. Then I rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. THEN I submit all those polished-up words out into the world and sell 'em. It's a plan that's worked pretty well.

The Zen and Zany Roller Coaster

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germany-duisburg-tiger-turtle-106155So it’s March already and that means I’m gearing up for my regional SCBWI conference next week (I mentioned it at The Muffin in “Scheduling Success”).

That also means I’m going back and forth and up and down between sheer panic and zen moments. Something like this:

Panicky Cathy: Oh my word, I can’t believe I signed up to read my manuscript OUT LOUD FOR FEEDBACK in an intensive! What was I thinking? HAVE I LOST MY MIND?

Calm Cathy: I am one with the writing universe. All shall be well. No one will be listening, anyway.

PC: Of course they’ll be listening. That’s what they’re there for! An editor will be listening! And what if he’s the SAME person who’s doing my manuscript critique? Did I put my real name on that manuscript? How long does it take to get a name change???

CC: I am one with the writing universe. All shall be well. This is my tribe, they love me. At least, they claim to love me…do they love me? I mean really love me? Or–

PC: THEY HATE ME! And they’re Southerners! Everyone knows Southerners are much too polite to admit they despise you. If I hear one “Bless your heart–”

CC: I am one…all shall be…okay, stick a fork in it, I’m done. Sooooo…I’m gonna need a pen and a good fake name. What do y’all think of Harper Lee?

 

Learning Our Lessons

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pexels-photo-404280Many years ago, after a particularly trying time, Oldest Junior Hall said to me, “Mom, I know I have to learn my lesson. But why does it always have to be the hard way?”

Why, indeed? I won’t go into the whole story about my cell phone and how it died at approximately 3:01 AM a week or so ago, but I will share that the week and a half without a cell phone was extremely challenging.

Considering that I didn’t even have a smartphone till a year and a half ago because I didn’t use my cell that much, I was pretty shocked at this reaction of mine. I mean, I smugly turned up my nose at those people constantly texting or sending pics or talking in grocery stores or whatever the heck folks were doing with their fancy schmancy cell phones.

And do I need to add that these were exactly the kinds of things I missed because I didn’t have my fancy-schmancy cell phone?!

I couldn’t take a picture of the birds outside when I was participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count. ( I sorta can’t quite fathom that I was actually participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count but that’s life in the ‘burbs for you.) I stood in the grocery store, wondering if Juniorette Hall would be around for Sunday dinner and I stopped to call her in the middle of the pasta aisle and d’oh. I can’t even tell you how many times I wanted to text someone…ARRRGGGHHH.

Suffice it to say, by the end of the 10 (TEN!) cellphone-less days, my nose was firmly down. There might even have been a big tear dripping off it. So I take it all back. Every single smug word or thought I ever had. And while I’m at it, I take back every single smug word or thought I’ve ever expressed about the Interwebs or cars or laptops or appliances or hot water.

I’ve had enough of learning my lesson the hard way.