My Life In Review

This weekend, we took a trip to Dallas and visited the Dallas World Aquarium. Little Man is a huge animal freak and, to be honest, I love sea creatures so we were all pretty excited. Kelly and I decided to take him because he'd really worked hard to get his grades up and to pass the TAKS test this year. (The TAKS test is the Texas version of the state standardized testing. In Florida they refer to it as the FCAT. Not sure about other states. But basically it's a general way of evaluating whether or not a student has a grasp on the minimum skills required to go to the next grade -- in this case, fourth grade.)

The weekend was very fun, but very busy. The bad thing about taking a weekend trip somewhere is that you don't get to rest, so you come to work on Monday more tired than you were on Friday. But he deserved the reward and I'd do it again under the same circumstance.

This week, he has Cub Scout Day Camp. He leaves Gilmer at about 7:00 a.m. (his cubmaster drives him to the campsite it Longview) and we finally get him back somewhere along 6:00 I'm guessing. Just in time for dinner, I guess. It's a long day, but a day filled with fun, learning and plenty of physical activity to keep him fit and trim and healthy. He's been in Cub Scouts for a while now. Going into his first year of Webelos scouts. It's a two-year deal that precedes actual Boy Scouts, and boy the requirements are pretty tough for a 9 to 10 year old fella. The funny thing is he'll come away from Day Camp (at the end of this week) nearly 2/3 of the way finished with the requirements for Webelos. Needless to say, they pack quite a lot in this one week. And there are other campouts periodically throughout the year where he could theoretically earn more patches, badges, pins and awards. We'll have to see how that goes.

One of the campouts is called "Dad and Lad." It's basically a campout strictly for fathers and sons (Or grandfathers, uncles, big brothers, cousins...whoever... just a male adult and a scout.) He's been in scouting through the bobcat, wolf and bear years and I can honestly say we've never been to a Dad and Lad. Truth is I don't know that I'd ever feel comfortable taking him. Wheelchairs and outdoors don't mix very well. And, if I'm being totally honest, Eddie and camping doesn't mix very well either. So, because my son has a disabled man for a father, he has to miss out on what could be a fun time. I've thought about asking a friend here or there to step in and "be dad" for a weekend, but I never do. Anymore, most of my friends are busy with their own kids and the ones that aren't are busy with other things, so why bother them with something else, yanno?

As to the writing scene, not much is happening right now. I am going through a refocusing phase right now. With the follow-up to In The Breath of God finished, I am seeking representation/publication while trying to work on the next one in the series. Honestly, I'm finding it a bit difficult, what with the fate of its predecessor still in uncertain limbo. It sounds weird but I just feel strange trying to continue a story that, itself, seems to be on pause. I've submitted the story to Blooming Tree Press. When I spoke to her at the NETWO conference, she truly seemed enthusiastic about the story, so I'm keeping a very upbeat frame of mind as far as that goes. I just wish I'd hear something. This is the tough part about the writing biz. The waiting game. I don't like to put all my eggs in one basket but I've really done that this time. I have had such a strong, positive feeling that (to use a phrase from Texas Hold em Poker) I went "all in". I bet it all on this one shot and if it doesn't pay off, it's back to square one. (A place I'm beginning to find quite familiar, I'm sad to say.)

On Saturday, I caught myself saying to Kelly "I'm just waiting for something to happen." No sooner had I said it, I thought "If you're just waiting, you're not making things happen. And you're not a writer. You're a waiter." So, as I said, I'm in a phase of refocusing my writing career. I'm evaluating past efforts, redefining future goals and, ideally, developing a flexible plan for the ultimate success of those goals. Where this path will take me is anyone's guess. But I'm ready. And this time I'm not waiting for something to happen. I'm looking for a way to make something happen. So if you have any ideas, feel free to share them. I'm a blank slate right now. Paint me, Dear Lord. Paint me with your Heavenly rainbow. Fill this blank canvass with the colors of your choosing. My only request. Warn me before you use pink, okay?

Till next time, this blog is brought to you by the artful letters W, E and H and by the dynamic designs of the number 2.