Fear in Writing: 2011...the year of...?

Today in Literary History

Today in Literary History...December 14, 1907: Rudyard Kipling receives the Nobel prize for literature, the first English-language writer to do so.ud

Monday, January 3, 2011

2011...the year of...?

New Year's Day began like this: an 8 hour drive ahead of us, 4 brand new tires on the Xterra, and no kids within yelling distance.

Sounds pretty great, right?

30 minutes down the road, the gps sends us down a highway that is closed.  Then we stop to check the air pressure in the tires and they start to leak air--3 of the brand new tires!  With one almost completely flat, we begin the search for an open auto shop...on New Year's Day.

Finally, after much turning and confusing directions in Hammond, Indiana, home of the Horseshoe Casino--"a winning place to play!", we passed a fire station.  They help everyone, right?

"We dont't do that sort of thing, man!  We put out fires!"  (That is a direct quote.)  But another fireman  had a tool we could use to tighten the air valves and all was right in the world.  On we went...nearly 2 hours after we entered the industrial town of Hammond.

Is this an omen for how 2011 will go?  I could  choose to believe that and it would probably become true.  Or I could choose to laugh at the incident, concentrate on the kindness of the creative fireman and the joy of getting time with my husband without the kids, and expect the best of the new year.

I choose the latter.

How did your New Year begin?  Did it set the tone for what you expect of the new decade?

Happy New Year, friends!  I wish you all many great writing days...and many smiles.

9 comments:

  1. My New Year began with much less hassle than that but as someone long ago once said "Man can make a heaven of any hell or a hell of any heaven." So I like your take on it. Mine was cleaning and organizing and whisking away the Christmas tree and doodads and going to a really good movie - all in all perfecto!

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  2. Oh man, what a ride! Well, I'm glad someone helped you. I spent New Years Day traveling as well. We saw the Hoover Dam and just kept driving and driving and driving...

    Have a great week!
    CD

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  3. Michele - I've been to Hammond; what a place to need air in your tires....

    I am glad you got home safely and that you have such a healthy, productive attitude about what happened. I wish you a wonderful 2011!

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  4. I have a hard time getting back on track when my day takes a turn like that! Glad you're back home, safe and sound. :)

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  5. Just think of it as getting the crappy parts out of the way early!

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  6. Memories, you made memories (and writing backgrounds,perhaps). Every year you will talk of this on New Years and it will get funnier each time. Unless you choose to write a horror story, that is. ;o)

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  7. Mine began with 5 hours of editing on something I should have gotten in the 31st, but I am happy with the end result. If the year means hard work followed by payoff, I will be okay with that.

    Sorry about travel troubles! (it just gets better from there, right?)

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  8. I love all of your takes on this--memories, writing background, getting the bad out of the way early on, making good out of bad...Glad I shared this with youall.

    And I love that many of you write or edited, or cleaned or just had fun! Happy New Year!

    Michele

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