Hey I Know You!

Several weeks ago I attended a play. After the production, the cast members formed a line in the lobby to greet the guests. As we play lovers streamed out of the theater I found myself standing next to a woman. I stared at her trying to remember where I had seen or met her.

Finally, I said her name and the festival where we met. Her eyes then widen and she said, “you, you're the poet with the Run book. I just read it again... well a poem that's my favorite.” Then she went on telling me about the poem and how she felt when reading it.

I had reached her with that piece. That is my ultimate goal with Run into Blackness. I want readers to find pieces of themselves in my book and discover the parts of me. Some of the poems are biographical.

I was glad to see her again and able to talk with her. Most of the time, after someone purchases a copy of my book, I don't see the buyer again. Friends and relatives who've bought a book have called, texted or emailed me with their comments and semi-reviews. Some have even purchased another copy to give as a gift.

The reunion with that book lover was special. My work had connected with someone...again. Write on. Write on.

A List for Life

My typical days starts with writing a list of what I need to do for the rest of the day. Like most things everything takes longer than planned. Have you ever jotted down a few chores which you thought would maybe require an hour of your day? The rest of the day you could relax.

There's always a need to relax more and finding a few moments can really benefit. The news is filled with stories of people collapsing. Even the comedian Tracy Morgan collapsed recently. Everyone around the world was shocked. Such sudden health problems aren't planned. They just happen.

One day you're fine. You get a Starbucks coffee and then at the door of your car you drop to the ground. Hours later you wake in a hospital. Your body feels odd. Different. The medical staff tell you had an ischemic stroke. What? A stroke? Me?

You didn't plan that. Everything shuts down for the moment. Now you will definitely rest and for the moment that long "Things to Do" list will wait. Replying to text messages, checking in on Facebook, or uploading to youtube will be far down at the bottom of that list. Thank goodness for cloud computing to keep track of all your vital, precious cyber life.

Now, with your family and friends nearby, you must deal with real life. It's time to rebuild and perhaps even relearn a few basic things like writing and speaking. How will you survive on what you have saved? Will you even get enough social security to help?
Your perspective of life has changed completely.

I know several people who have had a stroke and saw how each incident changed the lives of once active, thriving adults into fragile beings. Do they care about the progress of social pages, texts, and emails? Nope. As one friend says, who has had two strokes, when I ask how he's doing, "I'm alive." So now at the top of my list I write, "Take care of yourself." Then I pace myself the rest of the day.