Perfect Moments: Cafe du Monde

Today's moment.....



My husband made my day when he came back to our hotel from a walk holding a bag FULL of beignets and an ice cold chicory coffee drink. It is not only a tradition, but a MUST DO, when we come to New Orleans. If I could eat a bag of beignets everyday, buried under a mountain of powdered sugar, without it hurting my health and waistline...I WOULD!!! As they say, why do the things that are so bad for you, taste so darn good?! When we get back to Cali tomorrow, I'm going to have to answer for all my glutonous, "I'm on vacation", sins. But, did not worry about that today...today, I ate to my heart's content.

Happy Endings

It's been a little over a week since my last post. I went on vacation with my family and had a wonderful time, but we were all just so glad to be back. While we were there, I kept thinking about some of the feedback I have received from some of the people I am consulting with about the book. None of the feedback was negative...actually it was very constructive and much appreciated. I am still waiting to hear back from a few others and am looking forward to hearing their comments as well. Out of the points that were discussed and mentioned, was the need to evaluate whether or not a happy ending is necessary and effective. There are two sides to it really. One side holds that happy endings are out of touch with what really happens in the world. People want a story that they can connect to, that they can relate to. How many people can connect to a happy ending, especially in times like these? Also part of this is the understanding that some people actually enjoy turmoil, they like things to be left undone. Why else do people watch shows like Maury Pauvich, Jerry Springer, Real Housewives, etc. They have drama and people looooove it. Maybe it is because they like to feel like other people in the world are more messed up than they are...it's comforting....or maybe it's just entertaining to see something that you don't normally get to see in your life.

On the other side, there are people....people like me...who happen to love happy endings. I love when everything comes together, when there is a ray of hope left at the end of a story of brokenness. I'm always hoping for the two lovers in distress to stay together, for the underdog to win the big fight, etc, etc. Why? Because the world is full of so much unhappiness. There are so many times when things do not work out and seeing movies with happy endings makes you want to still keep hope alive. Without hope that things can work out or can get better, life is so dreary! Who wants that?

Both sides of the issue are valid, I think. What matters in context of me and the book is which route would be most appropriate and EFFECTIVE for what I want to accomplish. This question and several other issues I have with the way the book is right now are what I am going to be working on figuring out in the next couple weeks.

Another HUGE question that was posed to me was whether or not the audience I am aiming for can be reached through a book format. It is true, not many teenagers enjoy reading....and ones who have difficulties, like the ones in my book, enjoy reading even less. So, if I want to get a message to them....is a book going to do it? This is something that I thought about before, actually. Which is why I was going to make it an audiobook as well as a regular book, but I have been thinking more and more about it and it makes sense to present the story to these kids in a way that is more visual. So, now, I am thinking that maybe the book should not be a book. Maybe it should be a show or a movie or something. I have sooooo much to think about.

So, where I am right now is kind of back at square one. I know there are some major changes to the story that I want to make. I know that I have to decide on a better format (other than a book). So, can I still make my deadline...to get something done by my 30th birthday party? How much of my plans need to change to fit a new direction? It's kind of all up the air right now. I want to still keep the deadline though. Someone once told me that "without deadlines, we are dead," and it has stuck with me. It will be a challenge, but I am hopeful that I can get it done and make it even better and more effective than before. In other words, I still believe there will be a happy ending :)

Listen to the Trees...

I have just returned from an enchanted weekend spent in the company of an immense forest of wise evergreens. From the moment we reached the foot of the mountain, throughout our four-day retreat, and all the way back down again, I was greeted by the gentle lulling of the wind blowing through their pointed leaves. They used their flighty companion, the wind, to send down a message. It gently touched against my cheek and blew past each ear. Though there were numerous distractions that beckoned my attention, I could not tune out their poignant words. What was it? What was the message that they whispered down to me? It was a truth. One that chills to the bone and at the same time heightens one’s senses.

It was the truth that one day, I, like every other being that has breath, will perish and become part of the earth under their rooted feet. It was the inescapable truth that I am a mortal being. One need only to look at the grandeur and the sheer size of these pine-scented sages to see what a small, piece of the puzzle we are in this mystery called the universe. Is this something new? Of course not. It is the same message they have been speaking from the beginning of time. But, we forget. We spend our days running at a dizzying pace, filling the atmosphere around us with noise to drown their voice out. We avoid silence. We avoid stillness. We FEAR them. Why?

Because we know what they will say. We know that we will be reminded of our mortality and that is not agreeable to us. But, why should we fear it? Do the trees speak to us as though to taunt…like an older sibling does his brother when he gains permission to do something his younger brother cannot? No. Their voice is not one that taunts. It is not one that jeers. It is one that soothes. If you pay attention closely, you will hear it. In the rustling of their needles, you will hear the distinct sound of empathy. And if you train your ear with the greatest degree of excellence, you may even hear the sound of thankfulness. They are thankful to us, for everything is tied together. One thing does not exist without the other. Those tall, peaceful beings owe their height, in part, to us for they would not have the soil around their roots to nourish their growth if our bodies did not disintegrate into the dirt. And in their thankfulness, they, in turn, provide for us clean air, cool shade, and sober thoughts. So, rather than be afraid—rather than try to drown out their voice, maybe we should, instead, look to them and say…"Thank You" AND "You’re Welcome”.