At book group last week, someone brought up the topic of being real with each other. Of sharing real things when they happen to us so that we can take turns supporting one another when those real things happen. Because, since we are all living real lives, real things will happen. And by “real things” I think I mean all things. Bad things. Hard things. Good things. Tired things.
I am, unfortunately, the kind of person who takes a long time to trust people. So as the people at book group were saying this, and wondering how we could do it, I thought immediately, “Time. Trusting people takes time.” At least, it does for me.
And then I realized that this is why finding books is so great. Because we can find someone who understands us, who puts voice to what we are experiencing, and we can trust them more easily and more quickly than we sometimes can in real life. We can read a story and for three hours or ten hours or however long it takes, we are sharing their experience and it feels SO GOOD even when hard things might be happening.
I know this doesn’t happen all the time and there are authors you don’t trust, etc. But finding that author who understands the real things in life and makes you feel understood for a while? That is priceless. That is what Carol and Ann Dee have in spades.
So keep making that mess, Ann Dee, and keep writing those scenes, Carol, because the rest of us really need to read your stuff.
And, Ann Dee, let me know when you figure out the secret to getting kids to sleep. I told my husband last night, “I haven’t slept through the night since 2002 and it’s starting to get to me.” I am so tired. Do you think if I write a book about tiredness it will feel really real and everyone will love it?
Throwing Up Words 