I've been absent from this blog for a long time. I could say it's because I'm under too many deadlines and don't have time, but that wouldn't be the whole truth. More than just my calendar is contributing to feeling overwhelmed. Every day...Every. Single. DAY some news story crashes into my soul and crushes my heart.
When I'm on deadlines--and I have four of them in four consecutive months this summer/fall--I tend to crawl into a hole and emerge for food and what computer gamers call "bio breaks." When my husband leaves for field exercises, I crawl in a hole. When the world around me gets too harsh, I crawl in a hole. Combine all three, and...well, you get the idea.
The hardest part for me is how helpless I feel. Of the above-mentioned circumstances, the only one I have any measure of control over concerns the writing--and since two of the four deadlines are on co-written stories, I don't even have full control over them.
I know I'm not the only one who wants to fly around the world, hug every person whose lost a family member or friend, and stay with them until their hearts no longer bleed uncontrollable grief. Denied that, I flail around trying to come up with something meaningful to do. Frustration mounts. Anger simmers. Mercy makes me a mess.
And then I need to call a customer service representative.
This time, I was lucky. I got an incredibly helpful, smart, articulate woman who fixed my problem with a cheerful attitude. I could have thanked her hung up, but I decided to do something...I asked to be transferred to the manager so I could compliment her great customer service.
It was a small thing, but I wish I could duplicate it a thousand times over. The woman on the other end of the phone was so grateful that someone noticed her good work, she turned into a babbling mess of happiness. Imagine that! A babbling mess of happiness.
Wouldn't that be a nice change?