Living through a pandemic was something I’d never even considered. So when Covid hit, beyond the ridiculous unknowns of the first few weeks, this introvert thought it might be a nice break from the busyness of life with three active kids. We’d clean out closets (we didn’t), we’d enjoy movies together (I think we watched two before declaring we simply aren’t a movie family), and I’d get to spend some time not rushing people all over town (but wait…I really, really missed this!).
It didn’t take long to realize that our family was not going to thrive in lockdown. Busyness wasn’t a problem in our world, it was a gift. The bodies and minds in our house need constant action, and—more importantly—interaction. The lack of physical and emotional contact with people outside our family of five was weighing heavily on all of us.
That’s what made me spontaneously click, “Sign Up” for a HerStories writer’s workshop that popped up in my neglected blog email inbox one day. I needed to connect with people outside the walls of my house, and it seemed like a good way to get back to writing too. It ended up being one of the greatest things I did. Not only did it give me a positive outlet for working through my fears and feelings that came with the intensity of the time, it renewed my energy for connecting with people through writing and introduced me to some of my new favorite women who happen to be sprinkled all over the country (and Canada too!).
One workshop turned into another, and another, and I just kept writing. Mostly for myself. But then came a long-shot submission to an anthology The HerStories Project was going to publish about women in the pandemic. I figured it was good practice (I’d already had another essay I labored over rejected by a couple of publications and hadn’t been too, too, too horribly crushed), so I started writing.
Well, on August 10th (what would have been my dad’s 73rd birthday), that essay will be printed on that super soft, yummy smelling paper, bound by a machine other than my home office stapler, and—get this—sold on Amazon. That’s right, Memes, Dreams, and Automobiles will be published in a book (ack!)! I’m so honored to be a part of The Pandemic Midlife Crisis and truly amazed when I read the bios of the other writers featured in this book. A few of them happen to be people I now know and love, and I promise you will be touched by their stories.
Here’s a bit more about the book including a heavily filtered (but somehow not quite filtered enough) picture of yours truly and a link to pre-order it if you’re interested.* I can’t wait to read all the unique perspectives myself.
*This is my affiliate link and I’ll make a small profit on each sale. If I make enough, I’ll invite you all to a book launch party on my new yacht which I’ll name after the first person to purchase the book. Or my dog.
Use Your Words