Time Warp
July 31, 2000
7:23 a.m.
Interesting weekend. I went to the very last Rivercon, and saw a ton of folks. Lisa Silverthorne, Stephen Leigh, Linda Dunn, and David Coe, of course. Had the great privilege of finally seeing Tobias Buckell and his girlfriend, Emily. We drove down to Louisville with Charles Eckert in tow. Christopher Rowe managed to sneak in for Friday night. Spent a little time with Mike Resnick. So the gang was all there, you know? All the usual convention things happened. Panels. Strange discussions. Laughing. Smiling bulldogs. ... okay, you had to be there. I signed a couple of autographs--always fun. I critiqued a manuscript. I met a few folks I hadn't met before--George Martin, Toni Weisskopf, and others. Somewhere along the way, Charles grabbed me by the arm and marched me up to the art show and pointed out that the internal artwork to "The Taranth Stone" was up there, which was quite a thrill. Lisa demanded I buy it. And then Kelly Freas personalized a greeting for me on it. So that was pretty okay. In the process I got to see the actual cover art--which I would really love to have but it's a shade pricey at short story rates. It is, however, about as perfect of a work as I could ever imagine. [nonchalant grin while trying to keep from beaming] I had a great time. One of the things I always looked forward to about Rivercon was that it was in Louisville, where my mom and dad live. We always stay there. When we got "home" to my parent's place, Charles and I waited in the living room, talking to my mom and dad while Lisa and Brigid were out attending a bridal shower for Becky, one of her cousins. When they came home, they were full of stories and events. Lisa wore a blue dress, Brigid a loose burgundy skirt with a classic top. They talked about things. I don't remember the exact circumstances. But there was a moment there. Just a quarter second. A flash. Brigid was standing up, tall and thin like her mother, and her hair (which has grown out long) had flowed back over her shoulder and around her neck. She looked up at an angle, glancing toward the kitchen. And suddenly she was twenty-five years old. Her face had lost the baby softness that it's had for all time. Her eyes were clear and sharp and focused on everything that was happening. Her skin was still smooth, of course, but her features were defined, her smile warm and bright with certainty that comes from knowing something about the world. Her demeanor was active and engaged. My heart almost stopped. My girl, you see. That's my girl, and she's all different all of a sudden. What the heck happened? Then the twenty-five year old was gone. Brigid tossed her head or giggled or something. Next thing you know she was on my lap trying to tickle me. My first instinct was to tell her to stop and to send her away. But I stopped myself. She'll be twenty-five soon enough. So I tossed her to the floor and I tickled her back until she was shrieking. I paid for this with a faux-caustic glare from Lisa. But that's okay. It was worth it.   Have a great day.  But no three book contract, right? Daily Persistence is © Ron Collins |
|
Back to Work ... |
BACK TO 
|