The Wave of Change

While this is not a political blog, I can’t write this week’s blog without acknowledging what has happened in our world for those of us in the US and everywhere. Tonight, we made history and voted for change, massive change, in the form of US president-elect Barack Obama. Whether you were for or against him, you all must admit our world has changed and we are now part of history in some small way.

But along with this change comes quite a bit of my own. This past week, I was informed that the shop where I’m a reflexologist will probably be closing down at the end of November. While that might be extended until the end of December, I find myself out of my two paying part time jobs.

Now, this can be a blessing or a curse. I can look upon this as being the gods screwing with me in a bad way or that they are trying to tell me something entirely different. As much as my sometimes pessimistic self would love to say that they are wishing me harm, I know it’s the other reason.

How do I know this you may ask? Well, may it was the last five fortune cookies that told me I was going to face change, I was going to have a career change and that soon I would be doing something I loved so I had to become prepared. Huh? Yeah, weird but true. Within a three week period, every time we went to Chinese my fortune cookie told me to be ready for a big change in my life.

At first, I thought that it was telling me about the troubles my youngest was having with his Type 1 diabetes. Then I thought that maybe it was the rejection I just had or the fact my shop was closing or…what? How many signs does one woman need?

I am a great believer of Karma and what goes around comes around. Over the years I have always put my writing career second over work and family. In the last few months, I have been pushing myself to make it more of a priority. The moment that I allowed it to finally float to the top, things start going awry and I thought again, maybe this wasn’t my time.

But this time, the way events were going awry was pushing me more and more toward writing full time. Everything pushed me in that direction. Everything. My youngest even said to me recently how my writing all the time would make life more flexible for whatever reason. Sigh. Out of the mouths of babes.

The final straw came yesterday with this fortune: Prepare yourself for a change of events in your personal life. Okay. The writing is definitely on the wall, no pun intended. I am supposed to be writing and it is high time I accepted that fate. About three years ago, my DH had given me the opportunity to stay at home and write full time. I had always wanted to do just that but for me, the time just wasn’t right. And while I’m a little skeptical this is what I’m supposed to do, this is what I am definitely committed to do.

Most of authors have outside jobs to sustain themselves. Very few of us are lucky enough to be earning money every month from writing. I had already passed that hurdle as I have been steadily earning money for the past two years. But now, I had to decide this would be my income, my contribution to the family and myself: this time I would make it work for everyone.

And you know, from the moment I decided this early on Tuesday morning, I have been at peace with the decision.

Then it may just be the writing is flowing from me like water from a pitcher. Just today, I’ve managed to put together three new ideas, finish one short story and continue on another one. In total, I’ve written almost eight thousand words just today. Who knows what I can accomplish if I can continue that pace?

Guess I’m going to find out.

Lynn