Words from a Reader

The “Writing Life Stories” e-mails I receive are such treasures. As soon as I see there is one in my inbox, I read it immediately. I look forward to them and never know how they will touch me. They can be interesting, informative, humorous, and/or touching.

Sunday, July 10, 2016

The ending of a bad week for the country and a good weekend for me

The  past two days have been busy but fun. I worked at our booth at the Festival on the Square in Hayesville Saturday and Sunday. 


I wish I understood why I can sit for hours talking to strangers and meeting new people with no pain in my back or my feet or anywhere although my doctor tells me not to  sit for more than an hour at the time. I thrive on meeting and talking with people. If anyone is a People-Person, I guess I am. It is a  joy for me to discuss writing and get to know individuals who are interested in writing and in books. 

Joan Gage took the major part of the work off me this year. She and her husband Rob set up the tent,  the tables and brought all of it back to my house today when the festival closed.

It was a special joy to help a woman who recently lost her husband, buy a book on widowhood that will help her deal with her grief. It is On Our Own, Widowhood for Smarties, and I have two poems in it. She came by today and told me she had been reading the book. 

I got a kick out of selling a couple of books for someone who sat there and basked in the buyers' appreciation of  the author's military service. 

Marsha Barnes surprised me with her beautiful children's book, but more so with her sales ability. She  told me she worked on the floor selling furniture at one time. Then  I understood.

If I  did nothing else this weekend, I hope I helped the  other writers see that  it is not hard to invite passersby to come in and sign up for a free book, then open a  conversation with  them. The purpose is not to sell them a book, but to engage them in conversation, and if they seem interested in the books, talk about the books. Most of the time, the passersby will  take a book with them when they leave.

Dispensing information about our writing group and making our literature available for those who might want to know more was our goal this weekend and we did that. Would-be writers  now know where to go for classes and for more information from professionals who are willing to help them.

This week I'll teach a poetry class, promote classes by others who will teach at my Writers Circle studio, and  hopefully find time to  swim a couple of times. I hope to go to  a critique group and have lunch with a friend. This week will be full and will pass too soon as all the days of my life seem to  do now. 

I will try not to  listen to the news because I can't fix anything and worrying about it makes me ill. I will live my life in a way that I hope is an example to those who fail to see that divisiveness could be the downfall of  our country. Reaching  out to  help others in whatever way you can might seem a small thing, but when we all do that, it is a large thing. 
Have a good week, my friends. 


5 comments:

  1. The only thing any of us can do is take care of our own spiritual state and pass it along to others. I wonder if when you are talking with new people (while sitting) that you are sitting up straighter, and that's one reason why you don't hurt at those times. Yoga is really helping me be aware of the way I use my body. :-)

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  2. Glenda, I'm sure your doctor isn't the only one saying you shouldn't sit for long periods. I've been told the same thing, and now that I'm no longer a caregiver, I find myself sitting at my computer for at least an hour, maybe more, without taking a break. I'm glad you had a good time at the festival.

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  3. Abbie, it is the computer time that gets me. Time passes so quickly when I am doing something I enjoy. I have to set a timer to remember to get up and walk around. All of us these days are suffering from leaning forward and putting pressure on our necks, etc. with devices. My week has not gotten off to a good start. Some of my loved ones have suffered health issues and death in the family. Their pain is my pain.

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  4. DJan, posture does make a big difference. I used to do yoga until I hurt my shoulder. Now I am urged to exercise in the pool and i do hope to do that sometime this week.

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  5. Glenda, I'm with you as far as time passing quickly when we're doing something we enjoy. I hate setting a timer because it reminds me of when Bill was alive, and I had to drop what I was doing every so often to take care of him. Instead, I break down the tasks I need to do on the computer into steps. After I complete each step, I take a break. However, I pay attention to my body, and if I feel I need a break before I complete a step, I take one.

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