Don't Look Down, Look Back--Shirley You Must Know That...

I got an email from arguably my biggest fan ever. Her name is Shirley and she lives in California and she has been battling a few health issues, and in spite of all of her discomforts, has been my number one 25 peeps clicker keeping me at a reasonable distance from "the butt".

She is for me and against the boobies, for which I am forever grateful and humbled.

There are days when I just want to peel back my archives and say, "HERE, READ THIS! This is better than what I can write today. You want to read something entertaining, while you are slurping the bottom of your coffee cup and whisking the crumbs off your work shirt or trying to forget that your kid just puked on your new couch or... well then! Have I got a tale for you!

And then I think I should just keep writing my stories, telling my tales, getting them all down in one place in case I get hit on the head (a real possibility) and forget whatever happened to me that happened. I mean, I could stop existing as me and start existing as me minus 25 years...

But still look like me...

Only I'll be less apt to interrupt the flow of a day with... "Did I ever tell you about the time...?"

Anyway, Shirley, you jest. Anyway, that was just a bad pun. Here is Shirley's email and if you think my relative humility was reasonably comfortable the last few weeks, you should measure it now. I am sonny. I am warm. I am fuzzy...

--THE EMAIL--
In the past few days I've spent some time going back over the things you have written, including visiting your archives. When I'm on pain meds that type of activity seems to be one of the more prudent ones for me to attempt. My first comment is that you are an excellent writer. You are very easy to read and you have the ability to paint very vivid pictures. I'm sure that within all that you have written is a very good book.

The most touching thing I have read thus far is about your Mom and how you took care of her. I could feel the love, the gentleness and the softness. I could also feel the struggle of overcoming being a son enough to be her caretaker. As a mom I could also read into it the difficulties she had to face in order to allow you to care for her. That was a great piece, Scott. I'm so happy she got better.

Another one that had me laughing was your brother's pyrotechnic experiments. That was hilarious! It also struck a chord in me. I have four sons and one daughter. I was a stay at home mom, as were most of us in those days, and I really thought I had a good handle on what my kids were up to. Not! Now that they are older I hear about all sorts of things that I had absolutely no idea of. So, I particularly enjoyed that one.

One that touched me was one that you didn't write, but was written by your sister. Her thoughts about cancer really hit home. It really is a life altering thing. Even with a good outcome, such as I have been blessed to have, it changes the way you look at things.

Then, my dear, I have to ask...why the hell does anyone climb rocks or go bungee jumping? Or go chasing around where there are crocodiles? I have read enough to know that you are either very brave and courageous, or you maybe lack sense in some things.

Seriously, Scott, you really are a very good writer and you are a fantastic read. Oh, and by the way, something to stick in your mind.....try Neil Diamond's "Cracklin' Rosie" or Abba's "Fernando". Man, you just can't get rid of those. I made the mistake of playing some oldies the other day.

Regards,

Shirley



Thank You so much, Shirley. And yes, I think I lack a lick of common sense....