When Cole met Jane, something special happened, and they found love
He never expected Anthony to return…
Three Ways – The Ways In, a contemporary romance in
Sydney, Australia, all yours on the cheap at Amazon
Amazon Australia Amazon Canada Amazon US
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Hi guys,
Another while, I know. It’s not something I love, getting in the mood
for blogging, then falling back out of it. Fact of my life, things come and go,
inspiration lives and dies. Macabre 1, Writer 0. Okay, I haven’t slipped into
Macbeth’s brief candle (though that’s my favourite Shakespearean dose of
nihilism). I will say that things look up, and continue to look up, but, well…
I’m an addict, and go to 12 Step. Been going since before the Golden
Crowned Lurgy hit us in the dying days of ’19. It’s been a wallow, turning up,
stating my self-defined circles, sharing experience. Once, I got up to 82 days
of sobriety… Then the drop again. Granted, a lot of behaviours have dropped,
and there is marked improvement. But none of this was with an all-important
sponsor, and I did little if nothing to reach out for one.
In good news, I’ve found someone willing to sponsor. Even better, I’m
treating it as initial days, a start of a long, long journey. Challenges now
are pedestalling, which is going to end in failure. The latest conversation,
redefining my circles, speaking some hard truths. End result, back to 0 days.
About two weeks since my last drop, that one two weeks from the prior, the
next, you can see the pattern.
I know, I know wallowing in pity more than just a touch. But I find it
disheartening to end up in the same place, when there’s all this wonderful
resolve to fix it, only to slip again. And here I’ll call it out for what it is
– difficulty, but improvement. Yeah, the slips hurt, the moment after fills me
with hope, then a trigger into a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Something’s working though. What I wasted is no more, places I went far
from mind. These blessings are working, the 12 Step approach to God is boosting
my faith in God and Christ. And here in this moment of hope, there’s the drive
to keep going. There’s the possibility I’m gonna slip, whether tomorrow or ten
weeks from now, but while I do giving up (or, rather, not realising I’m facing
Everest), I do getting up very well.
So, life’s not all doom and gloom. Poor player, step out for a holiday,
you’re getting married very soon (true story). Sorry for the downs, long live
the ups. And that’s me in this fortnight’s nutshell.
The Last Fortnight in Writing
I am glad to say that I have been getting things done, very slowly last
week, but much faster this week.
I realised why I was blocked on The Ways Out so hard. The dialogue was
stagnating. And dialogue being a strength of mine, that kinda hurt, especially
given this is a book I really want to write, a change in direction from the
first book.
So, on realising the stagnation – and in true writer form, using it as
part of the action and yes, dialogue in the pivotal chapter, I broke with it
and got stuff done. More to the point, the action happening in an actual
location, I left behind winding everything in and ran with the dialogue first,
then chopped in the scenery over a couple of days, and got to the moment the
characters were waiting for.
And, in good news, started on the next chapter, with more done Monday
and Wednesday, with hope to get to the end this week, maybe next, no promises
(as much as the fiancé is bugging me for this chapter).
The Gaming Experience
Yeah, in the last couple of months, I got really bogged down in Skyrim
on Survival Mode. I will say I’ve been to most places, will also say I was
fatigued down to 50 Magicka getting Auriel’s Bow in the Dawnguard expansion,
but my vampire hottie sideperson Serana and I took care of business, and have
since landed on Solstheim for some Morrowind nostalgia… at which point I’ve
jumped into Morrowind itself, which is already in run-everywhere, sleep to heal
survival mode from the word go (and has crashed at least five times – I love
Bethesda games at times :D)
It Truly Shows
No, it doesn’t. Because I tried to watch Kenobi but, after about ten
minutes, kinda didn’t care. Maybe I’ll try again, maybe not, but… We’ll see.
But Multiverse of Madness was brilliant, okay I have some misgivings, but
(spoiler alert) Sam Raimi does brilliant work with the undead and evil spirits.
As Ash says, “Groovy.”
This Week In Church
Oooh, it’s a goodie this week.
First up, a dose of Deuteronomy, where Moses proclaims the Law as within
reach, not in heaven or across the sea to be brought to the people, and by
living by it, the Commandments, we can return to the guy upstairs with all the
heart and soul.
Then, Paul writes to the Colossians, explaining Jesus as firstborn of
creations, all things in heaven and earth created in him, the image of unseen
God, and explains the perfection found in him, peace made by his death on the
Cross. It’s rich, but these to me are moved to the side by the Gospel – the
Parable of the Good Samaritan.
Now, Samaritans did not see eye to eye with Judeans or Galileans, cool
at best, full of animosity at the worst. In our white het world, picture
Russians next to Ukrainians, or Isis, Al Qaeda to, anybody else – or this one,
a married gay man to a conservative Catholic. Now, we’re set.
A lawyer seeking to unsettle Jesus, asks what he must do to receive
eternal life. Jesus asks him to read what is written in the Law. The lawyer
responds, “Love God with all your heart, soul, strength, mind, and love your
neighbour as yourself.” Jesus commends the lawyer, and says if he does these
things, eternal life is his. But still seeking justification, the lawyer asks, “Who is
my neighbour,”
So, a man gets attacked by brigands on the way to Jericho, and gets left
for dead. A priest comes along, supposed to serve God, right? He ducks across
the road, and leaves the man for dead. Next, a Levite – from Aaron called Levi,
the guys who sat down and wrote the Law. He ducks across the road, leaves the
man for dead. Now, the ultimate outsider, not Jewish, unfriendly to Judeans,
Galileans – or our Putin, terrorist, the gay man – comes along.
The Samaritan is moved with compassion. He
cleans and dresses the man’s wounds, bears the man on his camel to a nearby in,
ensures the man is given a bed, pays two coins to the innkeep to let the man
rest, and assurance he will return to pay anything further for the man’s
treatment – and likely, check how the man himself is going.
Jesus asks, “Who was neighbour to this man?” We should all know the
answer: “The one who took pity on him.” The lawyer is farewelled, “Go, and do
the same yourself.” We don’t know what happens to the lawyer next, but one can
argue that his need for justification, pride perhaps, was healed – all because
of a stunning example, something Jesus did very well.
What can we take of this? Don’t cross the street, but tend the wounds.
It’s harder, but caring is a rich reward for humanity, especially to those we
don’t agree with. Something even I’ve got to get used to doing.
Ad Finishum
So, there’s another blog. Maybe I’ll post in two weeks, maybe three, I’m
still trying to get onto a cycle of exercise and stability – not my strong
point at the moment. But, life can get better, so as always,
Have a good one!
T.M.
