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Saturday, March 28, 2015

Pay Attention and Let it Go


     This image taken during a spiritual journey last fall represents a wonderful tool for the human toolbox.

     "Pay attention to events as they unfold."

LONG PAUSE.

     "Let go of the end result."

I offer this in the middle of my second annual trip to The Writer's Institute in Madison, Wisconsin. Many of you read about my hysterical and appalling account of the very first critique I received for a book I'm publishing. I encourage rereading the post or if this is one that was missed here is the link:  http://20gurusandadog.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-mutilated-duck.html. It is with wild relief that I share, this time around I wasn't called crazy. That said, it has been a trans-formative experience on multiple fronts. 
     I was hijacked by a group of women writers who are louder, more obscene and funnier than I am. This has brought scribbling peeps into a vacant space I didn't know existed. Those of us who put thoughts on paper know what I mean. Sitting in front of a computer or a blank sheet of paper is an internal experience. This engagement is delicious, but isn't without a big heaping spoonful of loneliness. Writers are an odd bunch. A lot of us don't make friends easily since a big "O" sits slapped on our perspective. 

     We are observers of life.

This makes us great at describing what is going on but not necessarily at engaging in an experience. Especially when it requires selling our treasured books. Lolling on couches in the hotel with my new friends last evening I relished in word tango with brains that dance to the same rhythm as mine.

     We'd have gotten perfect scores on Dancing with the Stars.

     Today I head into the agents den to offer myself and the beautiful book for representation. I do this after receiving joyous affirmation from a lovely, rambunctious group of women. On the way I remember the tool from the human toolbox.

     "Pay attention to events as they unfold, while letting go of the end result."

Head held high, joy walks with me as I offer stories for the healing of our human tribe.