Monday Musings,late-Worth More Than Money

The older I get, the more I know the truth of what I wrote in the column below. People are worth far more than material gain. Ask the lonely, the forgotten persons who sit home, wishing just to be able to exchange a few words with someone, anyone. Maybe this explains the great growth of various and sundry online groups, from support groups to dating sites. How fortunate and blessed I count myself to be that I may count dozens of people as friends. Some of many years standing. True, many are acquaintances not seen on a regular basis, but many I do see often. If you know someone who needs a friend, why not be that friend? I know I must do better at following my own advice >

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If I should someday make a lot of money from my writing, the money would not be what I'd value most about my adventures along that path. It would be the friends I've made. Without them, I probably would have given up long ago.

Before the flesh-and-blood writing colleagues who walk and stumble along with me, there were those I've never met in person. Like most who dream of seeing their scribblings in print, I huddled at home over typewriter and later computer, reluctant to expose my dreams to the light of day.

Then this wonderful medium of communication called the personal computer came upon the common scene. The first computers were only available to companies and could do the work of many warm bodies. Not so good. As a matter of fact they had a negative impact on my own job situation. But I fell in love with them anyway and when personal computers became available I had to have one. And then a whole new medium called the Internet sprang up, with instant connections to almost anywhere on the globe.

This included the ability for a writer to expose his or her writing to others with almost immediate feedback. You didn't have to wait weeks or months to be rejected by an editor at your target market. Classes and critique groups were, and are, also available to learn more in your chosen field of writing. I am so grateful for this exposure to online writers and teachers. Their acceptance gave me the courage to seek out flesh-and-blood writers to interact with in person.

A writing career is still about as easy as herding cats. You get tired of the battle and a voice whispers, 'Why don't you just give up.' That's when friends come in and encourage or push you along. I prefer to sit home and stare at the computer even knowing I should get out, talk, try to sell books. Two of those friends called and got me into two venues I'd never done, which I actually enjoyed. Even sold a couple of books. And made connections with new writers. Those friends didn't know what they'd done for me. But I do.