Summer always ends too quickly for my liking. In this northeastern part of the US, we spend several months yearning for summer and it comes and goes without a second glance. Summer is fickle. It might be cool, rainy, harsh, drought-inducing, humid, pleasant, breezy. Time is running out on this summer. The only good that comes of that is football season.
I admit that summer has always been my favorite season. I love to be in the water and summer is when I have most access to pools, lakes, and the ocean. Swimming indoors in a pool is my least favorite water activity due to the chlorine that dries my skin and clogs my nostrils.
This summer season flew by at an alarming rate. I’ve not availed myself enough of the wonderful local summer produce, utilized the local pool as much, lingered on my lovely patio, and it’s mostly for one reason. In large part the weather has been uncooperative but my efforts were focused on finishing the book I’ve written.
And I did it! It’s a non-fiction piece that caters to a specific audience but it’s my creation. It took quite a few years to compile and the journey was well worth it. I’m not a fan of unanswered questions so when I was writing an article for our local historical association and an important question (to me) popped up, I needed to find an answer.
The basic premise is how a highly-regarded school district evolved in less than twenty years from a basic one-room schoolhouse. There was little factual information on paper so I had to dig for it. I found enough to answer the question for my own satisfaction. Though there is still wiggle room for speculation.
I’ve read hundreds of articles in local newspapers. If you’ve never read articles from one hundred years ago, I encourage you to do so. They are beautifully written and full of information. So many of them are available online, there is no excuse not to check them out. Newspapers were THE method of informing the masses.
While I felt I knew the basics of the answer to my question, I learned so much more. I spoke with dozens of folks who conveyed information to me that, in turn, required validation. That process allowed me to learn an ever-increasing amount of information which did include some startling bits which revealed the ugly side of human nature. One hates to think of that happening in one’s community but reality is harsh.
At any rate, my work is now able to go to an editor in a few weeks, and then on to publication. It’s such a great feeling to know I’ve accomplished this goal, not only for myself but for others who may enjoy reading the book. It also leaves me free to pursue the fiction writing that has been my dream for a long time.
This summer has been meaningful to me. Though I’ve missed some of its bounties it has allowed me to achieve a major personal goal. Cheers to summer!
Stories Are For Eternity 