Guess What We Get To Do Today, Boys and Girls?
I'm a little busy today. I've got three articles due for the same client. I wrote a draft of one yesterday, but I also conducted three interviews so I could finish all these assignments. The materials for the second issue of the technical journal I edit, The Journal of the Association of Genetic Technologists, is due on Monday, although everything is ready--that I've received so far (sigh). I'm still waiting on a couple things, but I might send it off to my layout person today anyway with a note to "leave a hole for so-and-so's piece... as usual."
Anyway, I was thinking this morning, despite being behind schedule on this (and damn near everything else), "Hey, I get to write today."
Not conduct interviews. Not transcribe interviews. Not do research. Not promote my novels. Not travel. Not do bookkeeping or pay taxes or vacuum my office floor (well, it needs it). Nope, today, I focus on writing.
It made me think of a scene from the movie, "The Rookie" with Dennis Quaid. If you aren't familiar with it, it's the more-or-less true story of a guy who was a hotshot baseball player--a pitcher--in college who blew out his arm. He's a chemistry teacher in the middle of nowhere in Texas and he also coaches the baseball team. The team gets him pitching to them for practice and makes a deal with him that if they win the regionals, he'll go to the open audition for the major leagues. He agrees in order to motivate the team, they go all the way, and he goes down to the audition--I believe he was in his 30s around this time--and throws some pitches, convinced it was all a waste of time. But he was throwing fastballs in the high 90s and they call him into the minor leagues.
He eventually ends up in the major leagues as a relief pitcher for a few years.
Anyway, the scene I was thinking about involves when he and his fellow minor leaguers are kind of in the dumps, and Quaid shows up kind of perky the next morning (and he wasn't usually) and said something along the lines of, "Guess what we get to do today, boys and girls? We get to play baseball!"
Hmmm.
Guess what I get to do today, boys and girls?
Write!
Cheers,
Mark Terry
posted by Mark Terry at 6:55 AM
6 Comments:
And it's based on the true story of Jim Morris:
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/M/Jim-Morris.shtml
He didn't end up with a long career or win the World Series but he at least made it to the Show and sometimes you need to remember just to be happy about that. Being able to write something you know an editor will pay serious attention to is further than most writers get!
Plus Morris sold the movie rights!
Oops. The .shtml end didn't go on the url to the stats.
And I can justify it because it's my job!
I love that movie, Mark! The DH has a habit of watching movies over and over in the background (used to drive me crazy, but it's one of those things you compromise on), and I think I have the whole movie memorized.
And Eric, great point. I like that. I think we should start calling publishing the Show. :-) Sounds more fun!
Great post, Mark. It's easy to get too caught up in goals and expectations and not enjoy the moment. I came to a realization recently that while my life isn't perfect, or exactly what I asked for, really the primary dream I had for years, time to be at home and write, has come true, and I should bask in that and be more appreciative of every moment it lasts.
Barbara,
Absolutely! (At least today. Who knows, by Monday I could be whining again). :)
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