inspiration, with mixed feelings (of course)

This weekend was the once a year conference of the writer’s group that has helped me put together a proposal for a book I am writing.

Everyone there is writing a book, hopes to write a book, would like to write a book.  Some have written books, some are published, some are published and read.

I admired everyone who was there for their devotion, creativity, perceptiveness and most of all to their persistence.   So many people these days feel they have something to say; and in truth, all of us do.

It can be infuriating to see that some folks  get so much attention for writing and saying foolish and misleading things, but it happens.

The writing, reading and publishing business is in flux these days, much like so many other businesses and professions.  That would music, medicine, law, organic farming, credit cards, nursing homes and taxi driving, along with just about everything else we spend money and time doing.  About the only thing that hasn’t changed is the duckpin bowling alley in Billerica, where I’m sorry to say I lost to my son in a rematch of a game that took place nine years ago.

Yet, of course, being who I am, I have mixed feelings.  The people were admirable: smart, witty, earnest and most of them trying to make sense out of the chaos of the world we live in.

The market is mean and merciless; as bad as dealing with health insurance companies who don’t understand or care about mental health.

The market, especially now, with so much competition from other media, wants redemptive stories, happy endings, and simple solutions. Especially from someone they have heard of and trust.  That’s understandable.

Except I don’t believe there are too many redemptive stories.  There are some happy endings, but there are very few, if any, simple solutions.

Also, I am less well known than Chris Christie, to pick on someone who deserves to be picked on. I'm even less well known than his cousin, and I don't even know who that would be.

That’s two strikes against me.

But, we are allowed three strikes, and as many foul balls as we can manage, so I will persevere.