Have you ever had one of those months when things just go sideways? Nothing really bad. Just irritating. Things don’t work. Unexpected boulders fall down into your planned day making detours necessary. Your plans that you were certain were going to be started – in my case, a deep dive into getting to know the new characters in the story I’m ready to write – are no longer certain at all. Other things have to be done. Your plans have to be planned all over again for another day. You begin to wonder if you should forget your plans and start down a different road altogether.
I have been trying to finish up the audio narration of my third Hidden Springs mystery for two years now. I was closing in on the finish line when my computer erased five minutes of the narration on one of the chapters. That meant I had to set up my recording place again for just those five minutes with the hope that somehow I could make it sound enough like what I had read last summer that the narration wouldn’t be too jarring to anyone who might listen to Murder is No Accident in audio. It was kind of neat that in those five minutes was the line in my book that says a murder in the story was no accident.
Then, when I was getting ready to do that narraction and read the section on my iPad which lets me turn pages without making the noiose of paper rattling, the iPad was dark. Would not come on. I had to go on line to figure out if I could solve that problem. I did eventually get the iPad to come on. Have yet to get it online, but didn’t need to do that. In fact, after I wasted a couple of hours working on the iPad, I figured out that I could use my Kindle to read the missing section. But then it had been so long since I had done any audio recording, I forgot some basic things – mostly the pop screen over the microphone. The first time recording it was not good. Tried it again. Still not good. Gave up on it, but then my memory kicked in on some of the things I’d forgotten to do. Recorded it again and I think this time it will work. It’s not perfect, but what is? Well, maybe a nice cup of tea and a good book and an hour or so to read. That sounds close to perfect.
So one problem solved, but then… I guess I hadn’t been paying attention, but my newsletter service that sends out the newsletters to my readers and friends just closed shop. I tried to sign in to it to write a newsletter and it wouldn’t work. Nothing worked. I emailed them for help. The person who responded said the company had quit August 30th. Oh. Sigh. I really liked the ease of designing my newsletters with their system. I really liked how my newsletter list had grown. Now I have to learn a new system. It took all day and part of yesterday too, but I did get my mailing list transferred to a new service. At least, I hope I did. I guess we’ll see when I finally get that newsletter written. If you are on my newsletter list, you can be on the watch for a new looking newsletter next week. I hope.
I’d already been through that when I bought a new computer in the summer. My old word processing program was deemed too old to operate in the new computer. I had a newer program too but didn’t really like it. So, I was still using the old way. And then some of my files didn’t get transferred to the new machine. The whole folder of my next year’s book where I had my character lists, the manuscript, the history research. I’ve recovered some of it. Meanwhile I’m wondering what else might have gotten lost that I haven’t noticed as yet. Then I discovered that my backup program that is supposed to be saving all my files against such loss never got transferred to this new computer. Another search online to find out how to fix that.
But you know, while some of that made me wonder if someone was trying to tell me it could be about time to hang up my keyboard, none of it was all that important. And no, I’m not planning to hang up that keyboard. Those things were all just minor problems. Things you probably think I’m wasting your time even putting these words out there for you to read. You may have quit reading before you get here. I wouldn’t be surprised.
Instead, I remember that this is September 11th, and 23 years ago, the Twin Towers were hit by airplanes. People had gone to work that morning perhaps worried about small irritations that turned out not to matter at all when they were faced with tragedy and destruction. Many of them had no escape. Firemen and policemen ran into the buildings to try to save people and many of them never came back out. People watched it all on television in horror. Sorrow swept across our country. And fear. And anger. People prayed. We all swore we would never forget and we haven’t. Now there are young adults who have no memory of watching that second plane fly into the other tower or of seeing the buildings collapse. Those of us who did watch will never forget the images and the realization of what those images meant for the people trapped in the buildings. We can’t forget the last words of the brave men and women on that other plane who kept the terrorists from making it to their intended target. Heroes all.
So many heroes, both men and women, have stepped up through the years to serve our country whenever called on during times of war and tragedy. My minor irritations mean nothing when I remember them.
Do you remember?
Comments 6
Thank you, Ann, for reminding us that when so much goes wrong in our lives most of it is truly inconsequential. I remember 9/11 in vivid detail. I was in Knoxville, TN for work on a task force. Fortunately I opted to fly down the previous day and not the morning of 9/11. We had just started our meeting when someone interrupted to say an airplane had just flown into the World Trade Center. I figured the pilot had a medical emergency. Shortly we learned of the second plane. My immediate thought was, “If the visibility is that bad why are they allowing planes to fly?” My next thought was that something was wrong with that picture and, of course it all went downhill from there. It was really hard when we realized our country was under attack! So many heart-wrenching consequences that day! But it warmed my heart the way our people throughout our country responded with unity and an outpouring of generosity. In today’s turmoil we need to remember not only 9/11 but what is really important.
Author
You are so right, Karen. It was such a tragic time, but our hearts and prayers were united in caring for the victims and their families.
My husband and I were at a gospel singing convention at an arena directly next to an airport. I still remember how odd it was to see no planes in the air and how sad and scary it all was that day and throughout the week as no one was sure if there would be followup terrorist attacks.
Technology glitches tend to throw me for a loop. Like you, Ann, I must remind myself what really matters in the grander scheme of things.
Author
I think sometimes that we get more frustrated with the technology problems because it seems they just keep circling around and getting harder to solve the more we try, Diana. Maybe that’s because I came along long before there was this kind of technology. I was thrilled with my little portable manual typewriter when I was a kid. And my tiny transister radio.
I think we’ll always remember exactly what we were doing that morning. I didn’t have my tv on but a friend called to tell me about the first tower. He was in D.C., stuck in traffic and heard it on the radio. While we were talking the second tower was hit….then the phone line suddenly went silent. That’s when I heard the Pentagon had been hit too. It was an agonizing six hours of complete phone silence before I heard that he was okay.
I think everyone was glued to their television, radios and computers for several days.
I’m glad all your little problems haven’t made you hang up your keyboard! Your readers are depending on you to give us an escape from all of our little problems. 😉 Seriously though…when I get overwhelmed with several nuisances, I try to remember that maybe it’s just a nudge from God to take a break and relax and recharge for a bit.
Have a great day and wonderful weekend!
Author
Like you, Lavon, I didn’t have my television or radio on that day, but my DIL called and told me to turn it on. I too saw the second plane hit the tower and felt sick knowing so many people were dying while I watched.
As to my minor irritations, I guess I did do what you suggested and take a break since my daughter came home for a visit and to help me celebrate my birthday. I’ll be back to trying to figure out the newsletter problems tomorrow, but I have reached out for help from my website helpers. That should make things easier.