The Crazy Glue of Life

I have a confession to make: I want to fix things.

Not such things as broken clocks, flat tires, or mistakes in manuscripts. Nope, repairing these things would be easy compared to what I want to mend.  I want to patch up broken hearts, renovate low self-esteem, refurbish the downtrodden, heal physical and mental sickness, glue the pieces of a broken world back—to put Humpty Dumpty together again.

Pretty tall order, isn’t it? 

Fixing things is in my genes.   Daddy was an electrician by trade. He fixed the dark. My brother, Wild Turkey Jim, is also an electrician and brings light into the world every day.  He has the ability to repair almost anything that doesn’t work.

Mama could mend sadness with just a hug.

So, as you can see, my desire to repair humanity comes naturally.  But, alas, I stink at it.

I don’t know how to make a broken heart whole again.  Have no clue what magic words can make someone believe in themselves. I don’t have a witchy spell that will cure the insane.   No secret formula for paste strong enough to bond the broken pieces of a shattered world together again. 

Some philosophers would say it’s not my job, my responsibly to repair the world.  That each individual must take responsibility for their own actions.  These so called “wise men” argue that it’s taboo to interfere with another’s destiny, how else will mankind learn if someone else cleans up their messes?  I agree.  But . . .

It ain’t working!

This weekend I pondered a lot on this dilemma of how to fix the world and one word kept coming to me:  friendship.

The power and gratitude for friends can mend a cracked heart, eliminate the feeling of worthlessness and plug the holes in our head. 

Strong, sincere friendship is the crazy glue that holds us together with an impermeable seal.

I love and give thanks for my friends.  Without them I would be lost. Joined together in previous life times or in only this one, they keep me sane with their honesty, non-judgmental ways, humor, wisdom, and downright silliness.

And that is how I plan to heal the world.

            One good friend at a time.



The Sisterhood



I DARE YOU TO WISH APON A STAR

Okay, it’s been awhile since I’ve ranted and raved, but something happened last week that I can’t get out of my head.

A writing colleague of mine read a story to my critique group, (The Northwest Arkansas Writer’s Workshop) titled, Butterfly and Frog.  The story is an entry for “The Picture Book” category for the Oklahoma Writers Federation Inc. conference in May. 

Of course it’s no surprise that this is a children’s story about the unlikely friendship of a butterfly and a frog that live together in a wonderful garden filled with flowers, a pond, and lily pads.     

Brenda Black weaved a tale of beauty, the power of friendship, and the simplicity of life in 750 words.  As she read, my mind’s eye could see little children wrapped in Sponge Bob Square Pants p.j’s snuggled deep in their beds while mom or dad sat beside them reading and turning the big pages of the book.  Each page, painted in brilliant colors of the rainbow, told of the adventures of the unlikely friends. Each page drew the child into the Land of Nod and Make Believe.  

I loved it.

Now, here’s the problem.  While the members of the group loved the story, they didn’t believe.  They couldn’t let themselves go, lose themselves in fantasy.  They wanted the story to be logical.  

What a shame.  

I shook my head in pity and shot my mouth off about their lack of imagination, even called one guy Mr. Spock.  I shouldn’t have been so harsh. The world in general has lost the innocence of childhood and the ability to dream. No wonder it’s in the shape that it is.

Does everything have to make sense?  Where is trust?  Faith? Tinker Bell and Peter Pan?

My new paramormal roamance, The Rook and the Raven is due to be released on February 8 from The Wild Rose Press.  Here is what one review said:

If you let go of all ideas that are logical, and let yourself fall into this story, it
is truly beautiful. It’s interesting, funny and HOT. The Characters will make
you laughter, and bring you to tears. Beautiful fantasy story, just let yourself believe!

Notice the words, “if you let go of all ideas that are logical” and “just let yourself believe.”

In 2012 I challenge the Spocks of the world to let go.  Dare the non-believers to take a leap of faith. I encourage all the Brenda Blacks and R.H.Burketts to keep on writing about butterflies, frogs, rooks, and ravens.

There’s a beautiful land waiting, “first star to the right and straight on till morning.”  All you have to do is wish apon a star!"