August Thoughts

What a month! Getting used to the house has taken a lot of my time. Cramming everything in a wood-paneled dwarf hole has been stressful. There's no place to hide anything and I've had to make wise use of small spaces and plastic containers. Most of the rent on this place goes for the view anyway. And what a view it is.

What a privilege to work with Doug and get feedback on my writing style and my ideas. I've never worked somewhere or had a job where my style was important to anyone other than me. Mistakes are discussed, new ways of looking at words are encouraged. There are strict rules of editing and style that I've never been able to grasp but I knew someone had the words for it. Doug does. Even on Mondays and Tuesdays when the pressure is on, questions are still answered and I get a considered answer. There's a whole conversation to be had about writing. You can talk about it all day long, there are ways to put words together that evoke all the passions and all the excitement that communication has to offer.

The weird part is that everyone thinks their story is newsworthy. Women who belong to east coast elitist organizations think that their lineage is important here in pine beetle country. The beetles don't care. Snot-nosed 20 year-olds send emails making sure that you know how to spell their organization's name and then they want you to mail them a copy of the paper. Drive up the hill and get one from a kiosk like the rest of us.

There's more stories to write and more stories to tell and learning how to pace enthusiasm with reality means your stories make sense and people don't think you're a raving lunatic.

I remember a time in my life when I was sad. I got kicked in the gut and trampled, left to rot by the side of the road. I let it get to me for a while, but my decision to go back to school got me on the right track. I'm glad I have no more classes that take place in an academic setting. I've pretty much realized that the diploma gets you the interview. The real learning takes place starting with the first day. It's a wild ride and you'd better hold on.

I realized the other day that I'm happy for the first time in a very long time. Whether it's the mountains, the trust my boss has in me, or the realization that I have something to offer that has value, but I'm finally in a good place that makes me happy. At least until winter arrives.