A Trip North
June 11, 2001
7:06 a.m.
If you didn't happen to catch it on the way in, The Leading Edge has accepted my short story "Barnstorming" for publication. The expect it to be in their October issue. I've updated the bibliography to represent this.   I started storyboarding my novel this weekend--made it through a bit over ten chapters. This is a process where I read through my work, then take yellow stickies (and blue and red) and create a visual network representation of the story on a big wall. I really like having done this process because I like to be able to see the entire story line at once. Note the wording of that last sentence. I like having done it. I'll admit the process of doing it is more difficult because it's really not a lot of fun. But I know it will pay off, and so I keep plugging at it. On Sunday, we went on a little road trip to northern Indiana to visit the farm that used to be my grandfather's. It was a nice drive, but a difficult dayy due to some of the issues we're working on in regard to the property. As a result, I was quiet through most of the trip back--thinking about what steps we ought to take and whatnot in that cavey way us males have. On the way home, we stopped in Indianapolis and had dinner with our good friends John Bodin and Tammy Castleman. John and I met when we both worked at NAWC, and found we shared a passion for writing fiction, and he later introduced us to Tammy. We meet for dinner occasionally, but the significant change this time was the inclusion of Sadie, their quite gorgeous little daughter. They are just the best parents. When we got back into the car, I was still thinking about the farm, though. And I was thinking about my book. And I was thinking about work. And about a commitment I made to John earlier in the evening. And ... well, you get the point. I think I'm a pretty capable human being, and I can handle each one of these things. But put them all together, and they can get a little intimidating. "I'm thirsty," Lisa said. "What do you want?" I replied. "Pepsi." So after a little more driving, I stopped at a Speedway, slipped out of the car, and grabbed a cold Pepsi from the rack in the back. A line of three or four people stood at the counter. I stepped in and waited, my mind still focused on the thousand things there are to do. Finish chapter 11. Call the UK in the morning. Get the architect data on all the card access doors we want (more work stuff). Call Mom & Dad. Decide what to do about the grass that's knee high. Negotiate? Get the LE contract signed and delivered. Decide where to send a story that came back. Get some sunglasses for vacation in a bit. And there's more. Somewhere in there, I noticed that a dollar bill slipped from the hand of the lady in front of me. I reached down and picked it up, then proffered it to her. "Here--you dropped this." She smiled and thanked me and commented that it was nice to find someone so honest. I grinned and said she was welcome as she stepped up to pay. "I'll pay for his Pepsi, too," she said to the guy behind the counter. "What?" he said. "I'll pay for his, too." "You don't have to do that," I said, feeling a little awkward. "If you hadn't pointed this out to me, I would have lost the whole dollar," she said with a very gracious smile. "Besides, I think it pays to be honest, don't you?" I agreed with her, and argued feebly one more time. But she was set in her desire to pay for the drink, and so I eventually let her. I told Lisa about it when I got back to the car. "That was nice," she said as she cracked the top and drank. "Yeah," I said. "It was." I pulled the car out of the lot, and drove into the darkness. The crush of thoughts still ran through my mind. I could still see every one of them. They circled around me, taunting like boxers just come from the corner bell. But for some reason I felt a lot better.  Daily Persistence is © Ron Collins |
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