It's Thanksgiving, that special time of year when we gorge ourselves on turkey and/or pie* and then slip into the inevitable tryptophan-induced coma. It's also the time when we reflect on the things that we're grateful for. It's especially important because when times are tough, a little perspective about the good things in our lives can help balance out the negativity that seems to come at us from all sides. That said, here goes:
Stuff I Appreciate:
1) Family - Yes, it's a cliché, but it is also true. The fam is tight. Dad is my hero, Mom is a mamma bear, and Sis is my BFF. They always have my back and I have theirs.
2) Wife - CobraMrsFit is, without a doubt, the coolest woman I've ever met. She's fun, pretty, smart, and capable with a handgun. She puts up with my harebrained schemes, laughs at my bad jokes, and has more compassion for her fellow Man in one pinkie than most people have in their entire bodies. Why she picked me is anyone's guess, but I am eternally thankful for it.
3) Friends - I'm not talking second-tier friends that fade with time or distance, I'm talking people that know you, get you, and still like you. Most of mine are scattered to the four corners of the globe, but they are somehow always there when needed.
4) Career - Say what you will about being a Cubicle Commando, the Day Job keeps the lights on and the fridge filled. Not to mention, it allows CobraMrsFit and I the opportunity to enjoy our hobbies.
5) Hobbies - Between writing, beekeeping, classic cars, golf, the gym, learning piano, singing with the Alexandria Harmonizers** and playing video games, there are plenty of amazing things to keep a man occupied. If I ever gripe about being bored, someone smack me.
6) This Nation - Again, a cliché, but true none-the-less. Despite the turmoil being broadcast across the airwaves, my loved ones and I live in a country where we are given the chance to do anything our hearts desire. There will always be struggles, but the magical things about this nation is that we have a voice. On a regular basis, we can vote leaders into or out of office. We have a say in how things are run, are allowed to voice our displeasure, and have the right to wake up each morning under a blanket of freedom that is hard to fully comprehend or appreciate. But anytime we begin to question just how amazing this country is, we need only spend a little time away from it. We may not be perfect, but we are a land of dreams, hard work, strength, and opportunity.
6) Our Military - Not one thing above would be capable without our men and women on the front lines. They volunteer to spend holidays like this away from their loved ones so we don't have to. They are the modern-day knights, willing to stand between us and the darkness and they deserve more thanks than they will ever receive.
Anyway, that's my list. How about you all? What are you thankful for?
*mostly pie
**shameless plug
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Explaining Things
Sometimes it's not easy to explain writing. I'm not talking about a conversation with family or close friends who get us, I'm talking about the second-tier associate. The acquaintance. The, dun-dun-duuuuun, co-worker.
Co-Worker: "You look tired. Late night?"*
Me: "Yeah, I was revising one of my stories and lost track of time."
Co-Worker: "Writing? As in a book? Like Twilight?"
Me: "A book, yes, but a different genre."
Co-Worker: "Oh." (awkward silence) "So. . . what's it about?"
Me: "Uh, well it's a space opera about a faction that is creating zombie warrior ninja pirates in order to invade the Beltrakian Empire and overthrow the. . ." (passage of time) ". . . BUT, as they make their escape, the Evil Lord Pepperschmitt attacks and . . ." (more time) ". . . happily ever after. Until the sequel, of course."
Co-Worker: *yawns* "Is it going to be published?"
Me: "There's no guarantee, but I hope so."
Co-Worker: (pregnant pause whilst he/she thinks on this) "Wouldn't you rather spend your free time doing something more, I dunno, productive?"
Me: ". . . "
Granted, I wouldn't go into gory details with anyone except a family member, beta reader, agent, or Miss Tennessee, but you get my drift. To us, the story makes sense. So do the hours, days, months, and years we put into them. But to those who don't know us or share our passion, it can seem like a waste of time.
The difficulty is when we begin to convince ourselves of the same thing. Maintaining motivation can be tough, especially when your inbox is stacked with rejections. It can seem like all the time and energy is spent in vain.
The key is to realize that even if we aren't knocking down The Big Bucks or negotiating which scene of the movie version we'll make our cameo, we're certainly enjoying ourselves. We spend hours and years transitioning a plot bunny from the ethereal mist of our minds to the black and white of actual pages because we love it. And because we want to.
When you think about it, isn't that the only explanation we, or anyone else for that matter, ever truly needs?
*this conversation is 92% fictional.
Co-Worker: "You look tired. Late night?"*
Me: "Yeah, I was revising one of my stories and lost track of time."
Co-Worker: "Writing? As in a book? Like Twilight?"
Me: "A book, yes, but a different genre."
Co-Worker: "Oh." (awkward silence) "So. . . what's it about?"
Me: "Uh, well it's a space opera about a faction that is creating zombie warrior ninja pirates in order to invade the Beltrakian Empire and overthrow the. . ." (passage of time) ". . . BUT, as they make their escape, the Evil Lord Pepperschmitt attacks and . . ." (more time) ". . . happily ever after. Until the sequel, of course."
Co-Worker: *yawns* "Is it going to be published?"
Me: "There's no guarantee, but I hope so."
Co-Worker: (pregnant pause whilst he/she thinks on this) "Wouldn't you rather spend your free time doing something more, I dunno, productive?"
Me: ". . . "
Granted, I wouldn't go into gory details with anyone except a family member, beta reader, agent, or Miss Tennessee, but you get my drift. To us, the story makes sense. So do the hours, days, months, and years we put into them. But to those who don't know us or share our passion, it can seem like a waste of time.
The difficulty is when we begin to convince ourselves of the same thing. Maintaining motivation can be tough, especially when your inbox is stacked with rejections. It can seem like all the time and energy is spent in vain.
The key is to realize that even if we aren't knocking down The Big Bucks or negotiating which scene of the movie version we'll make our cameo, we're certainly enjoying ourselves. We spend hours and years transitioning a plot bunny from the ethereal mist of our minds to the black and white of actual pages because we love it. And because we want to.
When you think about it, isn't that the only explanation we, or anyone else for that matter, ever truly needs?
*this conversation is 92% fictional.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Tweets of the Week: 11 Nov 11 (belated)
Due to participation in hometown festivities on Friday*, followed by a weekend of merriment and spine-tingling adventure with CobraMrsFit, I failed to click "Publish Post." Apologies for denying the masses this "week's" unpastuerized dose of awesome, lovingly referred to (*cough*onlybyme*cough*) as:
Tweets of the Week**
@alan_tudyk: When it comes to people, places, and things, lately, I find that people and places just complicate things.
@BadAstronomer: If I somehow became the richest man on Earth I would still stand in the kitchen at night and eat Honeycombs dry right out of the box.
@zachbraff: I just decided you're going to have the best day ever!
@AdviceToWriters: If writing seems hard, it's because it is hard. WILLIAM ZINSSER #amwriting #writing #writetip #NaNoWriMo
@hobronto: Everybody, this is important. Please pay attention: A scrub is a guy who thinks he's fly, and is also known as a buster. Thank you.
@rdonoghue: The only person who ever really objects to killing the messenger is the messenger. Sadly, that's only one voice.
@hijinksensue: "And finally, to Mr. Harry Potter, for outstanding courage and for murdering Professor Quirell, 60 points to Gryffindor House."
@DeathStarPR: Force lightning hits me so hard, Makes me say, "Ow, my Lord!" Thank you for blasting me With 40000 amps of electricity. Stop, Palpa Tine.
@Broslife: A honorary U-S-A! U-S-A to all the veterans out there. Your bravery inspires me to be even more awesome.
@AM_Preston: Appropriate: You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you. Ray Bradbury.
*Thank you to each and every service member for your sacrifice and bravery.
Tweets of the Week**
@alan_tudyk: When it comes to people, places, and things, lately, I find that people and places just complicate things.
@BadAstronomer: If I somehow became the richest man on Earth I would still stand in the kitchen at night and eat Honeycombs dry right out of the box.
@zachbraff: I just decided you're going to have the best day ever!
@AdviceToWriters: If writing seems hard, it's because it is hard. WILLIAM ZINSSER #amwriting #writing #writetip #NaNoWriMo
@hobronto: Everybody, this is important. Please pay attention: A scrub is a guy who thinks he's fly, and is also known as a buster. Thank you.
@rdonoghue: The only person who ever really objects to killing the messenger is the messenger. Sadly, that's only one voice.
@hijinksensue: "And finally, to Mr. Harry Potter, for outstanding courage and for murdering Professor Quirell, 60 points to Gryffindor House."
@DeathStarPR: Force lightning hits me so hard, Makes me say, "Ow, my Lord!" Thank you for blasting me With 40000 amps of electricity. Stop, Palpa Tine.
@Broslife: A honorary U-S-A! U-S-A to all the veterans out there. Your bravery inspires me to be even more awesome.
@AM_Preston: Appropriate: You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you. Ray Bradbury.
*Thank you to each and every service member for your sacrifice and bravery.
**Note: All tweets are mostly as they appear in my feed to include RT credits (when able), trends, misspells, poor punctuation, lies, the Power of Love, dude looks like a lady, rocking around the clock, and hello-is it me you’re looking for?
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