Reality Smackdown

The moment I realized I was grown up was not when I turned 21 and became "legal." It wasn't even when I <<wince>> turned 30.  The moment I knew I had grown up was when I became the only authority figure in children's lives. That's a terrifying revelation for a singleton with no children of her own, but I pulled up my big girl panties and got to work anyway.  Here I am today, still showing to work with my little people.

Isn't that the way of things generally?  We're thrown into situations that stretch our abilities and grow our skills, and only recognize the progress we've made in retrospect. Life is about the journey. How we arrive at the destination--the unexpected twists and turns--is as important as the destination itself.

Is there any story that isn't about a journey, either figurative or literal?  I can't think of one. And if I've ever encountered one, I'm sure I tossed it aside long before reaching the final page. Personally, I am uninterested in people that don't face drama, challenges, or struggles. And I am equally unimpressed by anyone who comes out the other side unaltered for good or ill.  

Our character is defined by how we respond to the plot twists in life.

Good books tutor us on how to react to life's twists and turns. Either consciously or unconsciously, we relate with the characters we read. Hand in hand, we complete an emotional journey, facing impossible odds and emerging victorious.  

Since girlhood, heroines like Anne Shirley, Jane Eyre, Elizabeth Bennett, and a variety of twisted fairytale princesses have taught me bravery, patience, strength, self-worth, morality, and kindness. Why is that? What does fiction have to do with reality? Like the Hobbit's tale, going There and Back Again with these characters lends me the strength to carry on when adversity comes. 

So, here's my invitation: whether you're a writer or reader, find exemplary characters to follow, open your heart to the lessons you will learn, and take the journey together. The world grows harder and colder each day. Only a soul steeped in hope and filled with the vision of what is possible will be strong enough to withstand the onslaught.

With years of goodness stowed in your heart, thirty sugar-induced five-year-olds with mommy issues (or any other equally daunting task) becomes a walk in the park. 

As long as your walk in the park includes muggers, screaming babies, and naughty toddlers.  Happy reading and writing!

Hope Grows In A...

Book Club: the place where people force you to spend precious reading time with books they're interested in (and you couldn't care less about).

Generally, I'm not a huge fan.  After reading something from book club, I typically shelve it and never pick it up again. But sometimes--when I swallow my pride and/or inner whiny monologue--I have a genuinely positive experience with authors and genres outside of my comfort zone.

This months selection, The Rent Collector by Camron Wright, was just such a read.  Though the story is ficticous, it's based on the lives of individuals who lived in and made their living in a city municipal waste dump in Cambodia.


I'm the first to admit this is a rather grim setting, but as I hit the last page today, a quote from The Office came to mind:

Granted, when Michael Scott and Dwight Shrute, who are conversing at the city dump, drop this one-liner, it's meant to be funny.  Or at least ironic. (Seriously, it's The Office, if your funny bone's not tickled, you're due some sort of refund.)  However, in terms of The Rent Collector, this quote rings true. No matter what the family's circumstances, parents want the best for their children and will sacrifice what is necessary to make it a reality.

…the desire to believe, to look forward to better days, to want them, to expect them—it seems to be engrained in our being.  Whether we like it or not, hope is written so deeply into our hearts that we just can’t help ourselves, no matter how hard we try otherwise.  We love the story because we are Sarann or Tattercoats or Cinderella.  We all struggle with the same problem and doubts.  We all long for the day when we’ll get our own reward. (The Rent Collector)

Stories of good versus evil, of characters struggling through their journey to reach their happily ever after, are universal.  No matter the culture, these sorts of tales are passed from generation to generation to encourage hope. So, yes. Hope Grows in a Dump.  And anywhere else it can find ground fertile enough to take root, all it needs is a little encouragement.

To learn more about The Rent Collector, Camron Wright's other projects, or The River of Victory video that inspired Camron's story, please follow the imbedded links.