This year has been tough. Two friends lost to cancer, another move, albeit a short one, and unbelievable work stress. Sometimes I ask myself if it's all worth it--you know, life, the universe, and everything. Then I remember Douglass Adams was brilliant and already answered my question. Did I mention Mr. Adams was my age when he checked out with a massive heart attack?
I digress....
I have alluded to my current writing project a couple of times. It promises to be a work of hope and inspiration; my first ever attempt at non-fiction. Here's what I didn't tell you: this is the hardest thing I have ever written. In.My.Life
When you are attempting to capture the human spirit in the written form, it's difficult. Pulling this off while coupled with the stories of those who have overcome insurmountable odds is beyond the pale. In other words, I find myself immersed in their words, their stories, the bravery they faced against odds many of us can't begin to imagine.
Sometimes this work leaves me depressed without compare. My own maladies fall by the wayside and my emotions run hot. This is life--something we are forced to face when we move away from youth and into a more mature state. Some of our friends pass away, others wish they had passed away when a loved one died. Others, still, press on in the face of adversity--a middle finger salute to karmic gods who attempted with great futility to repress and slay them.
This is your story, this thing I am writing. It is about you, your neighbor, your spouse, your parent, or your child. On more than one occasion I've wiped away a tear as I have read the compilation given to me in trust. We never know what our neighbors have faced until we develop a particular level of intimacy with them.
The writing comes in spurts. There are times when I cannot force myself to the keyboard because I know other's demons await me. Still, there is that need, that push, to tell the tale--an albatross of sorts, I suppose--because I have collected their stories and promised to publish them in hopes that others will draw a certain strength from them.
Understand Bill Evers fans--Bill will return in time. His adventures have not ended, at least until my time on earth is finished. But there is something larger than Bill that must be told in the interim, and soon I will get to share it with you.
