Just hang on

Your brain is running in circles, everything is crazy, everything is going wrong all at once, everything is going in circles, what could go wrong next, why is this happening why is this happening why is this happening.

Hang on for a moment.

Good. Now hang on for another moment.

Better! Just … hang on.

It’s going to be all right.

I don’t know how. I agree with you — right now it’s hard to see a happy ending. When you’re right in the middle of it all, it can be hard to see beyond the crisis of the moment and envision a solution to the problem.

But problems get solved. The crisis eases. And most things we worry about never happen anyway.

So hang on. Hang on with all your might and take the first step forward. You don’t want to stay where you are, all paralyzed with worry and anxiety, so take one step forward, and then another step. Hang on for a second, and then two seconds, and then three.

I’m telling you, it’s going to be all right. I don’t know how, but you’ll get through this, and like the song says, it’ll make you stronger. Breathe in, breathe out, rinse and repeat.

And before you know it, it’ll be all right.

The next book is in the house

Wednesday was the day I learned Summer, my beautiful 3-year-old golden retriever, needs to go on a special diet to dissolve the stones in her bladder. If that doesn’t work, surgery is the next option. Also Wednesday, I finally swapped out the broken drain pump on my washing machine. I’d paid extra on Saturday for the “expedited delivery” option that would deliver the new pump on Monday — only to receive an email Monday that they shipped the pump that day.

But also Wednesday, the proof copy of my next book arrived in the mail. So on balance it was a good day.

The working title of this book was 96 flashes, because my book of flash fiction, 24 flashes, turned out to be too thin of a volume to garner much attention. We’ll see whether quadrupling the offerings and changing the name works better.

The Man Who Crossed Whimsy Avenue is due for release March 22, featuring 96 of the short-short stories that I’ve tossed out here from time to time over the years. You can pre-order the paperback online at places like Barnes & Noble or Bookshop, and I’m sure your favorite local bookstore can order it for you — ask them for ISBN number 978-0-9910107-0-7. Yes, it’ll be available as an ebook, too, but don’t you just love the sensory experience of holding a book in your hands?

I found a typo or two at first glance, and the book’s title is askew on the spine, but the more I look at it, the more I like it askew. It’s more, well, whimsical that way.