Morning Page ~ Looking for one thing

Looking for one thing,
I find another.
What I find—
exactly what I’m looking for
but I didn’t know it.
Not looking, I was found.

Talking or thinking about a concept,
suddenly I see it everywhere.
Is it this simple?
Is it black and white?
Like day and night?

**

Last week I read two picture books. I told myself: No more books. I can’t stop. My side of the fold out couch barely has room for me. I’m making slow progress on various books. I went to Barnes & Noble to search what they had on ageing and dying. The section was small but had some interesting titles. One caught my attention and I bought it, along with a copy of a writing magazine. I remember a long time ago I subscribed to a writing magazine and I ended up piling them up, not truly getting into the material. I gave the stack away to a friend that I thought would have better luck. She gladly took the pile off my hands.

I’ve bought writing magazines from time to time over the years. This was the first time I bought one in several years. It seemed time. I’m embarking on a new mind shift toward my writing and where I’d like to go from here. I have a rough plan in my head and I can visualize small milestones along the way. I can actually see it and it’s a bit scary and I’ll be happy just going through the process and receiving my first rejection. I’ll celebrate a rejection if I get even that. I don’t have many items on my bucket list because I’m content with my life—not content in a stale way, but truly happy that I made it this far. There was time I was convinced I wouldn’t make it to 18. Much of that was mental, but it felt good to surpass. So really, on my bucket list is one simple thing: To write and submit a piece to a magazine that seems to fit the market that I’m best suited for. That’s it. Of course receiving an acceptance letter would be phenomenal, but I’d be happy with a good ol’ rejection slip. Just to know that I did it—this thing that I’ve wanted to do for so long and had the Writer’s Market books in front of me, circling the possibilities, deciding what, when, where, how. Dismissing the notion and continuing to blog and write in my personal journals, scraps of paper. So that’s it. I said it.

One day I would like to write and publish a children’s book. It’s been a dream of mine for some time—one of my adult dreams. I can’t say why exactly, except that I love picture books and other children’s books, I like the idea of seeing my story come to life by an artist’s touch. I think it would also be a way to seal a few childhood memories into a real living object and if possible bring joy to others. I may only write and publish one children’s book in my lifetime and that would be enough. The story I have in mind is one that I’ve visualized for a long time, but had forgotten about it until recently. I don’t even know if it has potential or if I can bring it alive and have it mean something more than just to me—to broaden it—to include a wider audience of young readers and their parents. I will explore and see.

The two children’s picture books that I read recently were Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Words and pictures by Mo Willems and More by I.C. Springman, illustrated by Brian Lies.

Pigeon was a silly book and a bit odd in that Pigeon looked at us out of one eye the whole time from his one dimensional body. That’s the way he was drawn. The bus driver of the story says hello to us and says he’s got to leave for a little while and leaves the bus in our charge with the one favor of not letting the Pigeon behind the wheel. Of course, through out the story Pigeon tries to convince us to let him drive. A silly story that made me chuckle.

More  on the other hand is visually appealing. There are about 44 words in this 32-page picture book. It’s the story of a magpie that collects and he keeps collecting more and more objects bringing them back to his nest. It’s never enough until…

Magpie’s little mouse friend is a sweet addition to the story. Mostly told in illustrations, I can see how this would be a good one for little ones learning to know when enough is enough.

I also related to this story as I have the tendency to do this with books and I can’t stop, shifting piles, and losing track of what is where.

Both of these books were checked out from the library, so they will be going back, not taking up space that I do not have!

On the other side of the age spectrum, the book I bought at Barnes & Noble was Aging with Grace: What the Nun Study Teaches Us About Leading Longer, Healthier, and More Meaningful Lives by David Snowdon, Ph.D. I am enjoying this book immensely. I’m about halfway through and the next half will focus more so on the continued findings of the study. I am enjoying learning about the different nuns, their experiences, and especially eager to reach the end. There is so much more that my mind is still processing about this lovely book.

**

p.s. I’m sure I’ll add more to my bucket list, but for now it’s simple and that suits me fine.