Thursday, May 14, 2009

I'm gonna have to face it, I'm addicted to (this kind of) love


This link was on my facebook page and I'm listening to it now. Interesting: Elizabeth Gilbert speaking about creativity.

My older brother read Tender Graces and said, "you know that part where Aunt Ruby cut Virginia Kate's hair all up?" I said, "Yeah?" He said, "Do you remember when that babysitter cut your hair all off? Your hair was way past your waist and she cut it really short and Daddy came to get us and he was mad as hell?" Shazam! I'd forgotten about that! Such is how some things end up in our books are memories drawn from some black hole of remembrance database. Makes me wonder what other things are memories that I've forgotten or blocked or didn't process because I was too young and they showed up on the page. But when he said that, I did have a memory come of a little-me standing there and my daddy fussing away because the babysitter had without permission wacked off many inches of my hair.

I was tee-heeing this morning because Octavia Books in New Orleans ordered Tender Graces for their shelf. Yay! One book, one bookstore at a time, eh? I like thinking of TG's nestled in bookshelves in people's homes, in bookstores, in libraries, on nightstands. *smiling*

Gilbert is right - I need to Just Do My Job - to Just Keep Showing Up. Yes. For that is all I can do. That is What I do. I write. I do it with a full and sincere heart. I do it for love, with love, and to love. I do it because that is who I am and where I am and why I am. It is the love of my life and that may be sad to some, but it is just how it is. It is the love that never fails me, the love that I sacrifice for, the love that tears me apart and then puts me back together again, the love that doesn't betray unless I am the betrayer, the love that is constant and sure and true, the love that will only die when I do and even then the children of that love will remain. So, no matter what happens with my books, my words....I will continue to do what I do and it is the only thing I've ever wanted to do, really. It is the one thing that calms me. Imagine the skitterish horse, tossing her head, the whites of her eyes showing, pawing at the ground - and then, the horse whisperer comes and she is calmed. The writing is the horse whisperer.
Thank you all for continuing to stop by here and for reading and for all you do.
[Don't forget to send me a photo of you with TG - you can get creative with it if you want. And above, the book give-away ends May 31. Now - I'm off to work on VK Book2.]
namaste.

12 comments:

Angie Ledbetter said...

Happy writing, little thoroughbred! :)

The Gilbert video was great.

Janna Leadbetter said...

Elizabeth Gilbert is a wise one.

You can grab the picture of me with TG off my post from last Friday, if you like:

http://somethingshewrote.blogspot.com/2009/05/foto-friday.html

Missy B. said...

I am glad that writing is your life...you do it so beautifully and from your heart. :) I can't wait for VK2.

Sandra Leigh said...

What you have, Kathryn, is a gift - a beautiful gift in which we all get to share.

Cheryl Cato said...

Thank you for sharing this. I am passing it on to my friends via facebook. It is spectacular!

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

I LOVE the Elizabeth Gilbert video. I watch it from time to time for inspiration and to remind myself I'm not crazy and alone!!! Yup, your dear, Kate, is sitting on my nightstand waiting for the right moment to jump into my arms and my heart. Yippee!!!!

Debbie said...

How fascinating that you put that hair episode in and didn't even remember it. What a bad babysitter!

Jessica Nelson said...

What a crazy babysitter! I'd be so ticked if someone cut my kids hair without permission, and they're boys. LOL Already have short hair.

You poor thing. I guess your subconscious needed to vent. LOL

Nannette said...

Yeah, writing is great, it's submitting that sucks.

Deb Shucka said...

I feel exactly the same way about writing. Thank you for stating the need so eloquently.

The Elizabeth Gilbert piece is wonderful as well.

Glynis Peters said...

Bravo! I now have the courage to say, I am a writer, I write, when asked what do I do. No longer do I say I am an ex nurse...I have always been a writer but never shouted it out. It was there alongside nursing in my heart when I was born, it pushed nursing out of the way and is my life now. I set up a blog and had the courage to say I am an author.
I admire your energies and zest for writing. Well done on the book in the shop!!
sorry this is a ramble now not a comment LOL

Maria-Thérèse ~ www.afiori.com said...

I love the way you write about writing!!!

I ordered your book a while ago from the Swedish bookstore but haven't received it yet :-/
Will send you a pic of me reading when I do receive it! :-D