Surreality settles in, but reality remains. So I make room for both.

I got my contract from the publisher. In addition to the two 1500-word stories, I’ve written two 250-word “tributes”, two ten-item lists, and will have four more short elements to compose. That will be a total of ten items in the book. Another author is also contributing ten items, and between us, that’s the whole book. As far as I know, everything I’ve turned in so far is acceptable, or will be with minor editing. Because this is work-for-hire, I’ll be paid once. No royalties or anything like that. But that’s okay. I’m having lots of fun with this! It’s one of those unexpected delights that comes upon you, like a shooting star, or warm spring rain, or a phone call from an old friend. Not a big deal, but a happy one.

Major gear shift. Last night I had dinner with two friends. Listening to them, I was reminded of the pain that often lies hidden behind a smile. People can be hurting so deeply, but life goes on, and they manage to bury it, or ignore it, or sometimes even try to deny its existence. But pain is an unruly child and won’t be suppressed for long. The smile loses its courage, and tears spring to the eyes that kept them dammed up as long as possible. I listened, and I wished I could make it all better. I wished I could make people do what they should do . . . make them see that following their selfish whims just corrodes their souls and digs a deeper pit of guilt and dissatisfaction. In they fall, dragging everyone who loves them down, too. Then blaming the ones who offered rescue.

Sometimes I feel like I’m standing on a rock in the midst of a raging sea. And I’m yelling to the battered swimmers, “The ground is solid! You can stand! Just lay hold of the rock!” Heads barely above water, they insist that they can swim on their own.

And salvation is right there for the taking.