When I opened my e-mail today I clapped my hands, I laughed, I did the end zone dance, I felt...well...giddy! (in a manly way of course) Why? You may ask. Well I am inclined to tell you. Almost literally. I am actually reclined to tell you as I type this on the laptop while laying down to sleep. I just wanted to let you all know why I was happy. So happy, in fact, that I am writing for the second time today.
I'll get right to it. I am not one of those writers who drags on and on after setting you up for something big. I find that annoying when authors do that. I remember one time when I was reading a book and there was a major plot point about who the mysterious man was...I couldn't go to sleep until he revealed the murderer. It turned out that the author wanted to draw out more suspense so I was stuck reading for an hour even though I was dog-tired. Wouldn't you have hated that!? Me too!
Well, you don't even need to be a reader to experience people making you wait after setting you up and then making you wait and wait and wait. The TV news is famous for that scenario. "HUGE WALL OF TOXIC WATER RUSHING TOWARD AN EAST BAY CITY! MILLIONS OF DOOMED PEOPLE IN ITS PATH!! story at eleven." Dreadful behavior! Shame on all who make people wait for you to get to the point...
Now, what was I talking about? That reminds me of a time when...ok, just kidding.
Oh yeah, I was talking about why I was happy! I have been secretly and not quite so secretly looking for someone who doesn't know me to tell me that I have a little bit of talent in the writing arena. I am humbled by all the people who have said that they like the way I write but there has always been one small problem...they all know me. I always thought that it would be great if someone who has never met me (and can't imagine my actual voice when reading my written voice) told me that I was a good writer. I mean my mom tells me I write well but, let's be honest, she's my mom...I could probably get her to tell me that I did a good job trying out for the lead in Swan Lake. Trust me, I am not begging for compliments. When I do that, I will be holding my checkbook.
I received a compliment today that I relish more than the average, "Good Job." It started when I mentioned Ray Orrock the other day. I mentioned him to illustrate a point in my story. He always made me smile and often made me laugh. His descriptions were wonderful and rich and insightful and I respect him and his ability to write as often as he did. I actually wrote to him a few times at the newspaper and he quoted me a couple of times. I even gave him an idea for a column. I was thrilled! (and I still have the copy I cut out of the paper) He did once publish a poem I wrote that I felt proved that it was possible to rhyme with "purple" and though he didn't go so far as admitting that I had nailed it, he did write that I came as close as anyone could.
Well, I am happy to say that he is one of the people in my imaginary audience when I sit down (or lay down as the case may be) to write. Sadly I will never be able to hear his opinion of my blog from his own lips. He passed away shortly after his retirement a little more than two years ago. And now I just realized that I have been holding you hostage, in a literature sense, long enough. I have been given a great compliment and I am touched.
It seems that Mr. Orrock's daughter was looking for some information about her dad and my blog came up because I had mentioned him. She wrote to tell me that he would have liked my blog and that I was a good writer. For me that is like not only hitting a home run, but doing it in front of the talent scout who just happened to be in the audience. She didn't join my group of followers (which is steadily growing at a stupefying continental drift pace...thanks to you all. Seriously! It would have been nice to get to 24 and out of the odd/prime 23 follower zone) so I don't think I can send her a direct message. So I would like to thank her here.
Dear Ms. Orrock,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write to me. I was thrilled,
touched, happy, excited, and many other adjectives pertaining to but staying on
the manly side of giddy. I am honored that you took the time to write to me and
I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your father was like a friend of our
family and I cannot even tell you how many times my family has passed around his
writings to make each other's days. You, in writing to me, have made my day.
Thank you,
Jeff
P.S. If you happen to be a publisher and still think
I write well, I would be willing to thank you again on a daily basis. (kidding)
Keep tuning in and I'm sure I'll get around to telling you about the time Ray took his son to a baseball game with an exceptionally messy sandwich! It's priceless!
So now it is time to go to bed. I just couldn't go to sleep without letting you all know. Good night. And by the way, don't you think this little vignette will play wonderfully when they turn it into a movie? Just saying!
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