A letter to me.

                                                                                                                                            January 7, 2009
Dear Me,

One more trip around the sun. As you know I am not one for resolutions, but I am one to plan. You’ve come a long way and I’m proud of that. However, I don’t want us resting on our laurels. Especially now; the time is right and there are so many exciting things for you to pursue.  Jimmy calls it “time on the water” and you are approaching half a century of it. In that time you’ve seen and experienced many wonderful and tragic things. Above all though you’ve written about them, within those lines you’ve penned are a goldmine. Producing a point of connection for both family and stranger alike, a portal for others to peer through and find a common bond. It is that common bond you strive to tend and why you write.

So this year we are going to create a list of things to pursue. Notice I said “pursue” not “to do”. Because life is like a river, it changes course often. We need a chart to navigate that river, it may not be exact but it will have the key elements that we need to steer towards. This list as all things are fluid, they change to adapt to circumstances. There will be times that your work runs aground.  It is okay, you have other fish on the line. Tend to those until you either get them on-board or another line needs tending. There’s a reason for that, you may not be able to see right away. When the last ink mark dries on that paper you’ll understand, also in that moment will be great satisfaction.

Without any further to do, I present the “Pursue” list.

            1)Finish your first book; “Welcome to the land of ORD”. It’s been in the works for about ten years now.
                Having been lost in a hurricane and then found.  Since its return you have maintained the momentum
                that you need to “get-r-done”. Though I don’t have a date my goal is by years end. To date, my
                experience has shown about a month to rewrite a chapter.
                Let me end with this reminder; don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
            2) I want you to investigate self publication, with today’s technology why not take the time to learn how to
                use this valuable tool. It will create another avenue for you to get your work out there for others to see.
                After all not all publishers will pick up everything you write.
            3)Start compiling your foot notes for your other works. “Pirates of the ‘80s”, your non-fiction work about
                the dark world of cocaine smuggling. “Smugglers Moon”, is a short story about rum runners around the
                time of the golden age of piracy. Start working on your unnamed idea about how to write a book. The
                basic idea of sharing with readers some of the techniques that you have found very helpful in your
                writing endeavors.
            4)Since I've come to writing.com I've been exposed to like minded people, writers. I would like to
                participate in more reviews. I believe it to be worthwhile for a few reasons. It introduces me to other
                ideas and writing styles. In reviewing; it provides me the ability to relate other ideas or views to the
                writer. Finally it helps me to become a better writer by allowing me to recognize areas that may need
                to be changed in my own work, making for a stronger piece.
            5)This item will be an on going process used in all of the other ones. Punctuation and grammar, I don’t
                think we need to go too far into that.

As you can see, the list is short but don’t be fooled. Remember this list will ebb and flow like the tide. Keep enough slack in your lines to allow yourself movement with it. Don’t wear yourself out tending those lines; they aren’t the ones that count. It’s the ones with fish on you need to tend. Take time to breath, mend your sails check your oars and rigging.

In closing a toast as you make way.

May the river flow slow, deep and long. May there be few obstacles in the stream, enough to make you wise. Your ships log be full and open to all who visit her.

Sincerely,

Cosmic Gypsy