Monthly Archives: June 2014

i found a disc

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A while back I found a cd labeled in my draftsman print, 
     
          HKS
Full Backup 6-08-06

On it is a copy of an old, not quite completed novel with the working title Standing Outside the Fire (blatantly ripped off from the song by Garth Brooks).

Although I have a hard copy of the document, this file is the only digital copy in existance.  I was so excited to find it!  I had never attempted to do any further work on this MS, because first I would have to rekey it into a new file, and I’m too lazy for that.  And I was extra excited because I had just been discussing with someone a possible home for that story, if only I had it in a file.

The file’s corrupt.  I’ve tried all the obvious things, and quite a few less obvious ones, but no dice.

But not every file on that disc is corrupt, and after I got over my initial crushing disappointment, I spent hours last night revisiting old stories, bits and pieces, notes, chat transcripts, and photos.  The disc turned out to be a treasure after all, even if it didn’t give me exactly what I hoped, wanted, thought I needed.

I’m pretty sure there’s a lesson in there somewhere.

talisman

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I haven’t posted here in quite a while, because, well, pressure.  WordPress is supposed to be my “professional” site, and suddenly I have some bizarre form of stage fright when I come here.  I realize stage fright is normal, but I don’t personally have it.  That’s because, in real life, once I’ve assessed whether a stranger poses a threat, I don’t care what he thinks of me.

I do occasionally suffer from some social anxiety regarding people whose opinions might matter impact me in a way that matters.  Job interviewers, for example, or family members with whom I’m only distantly acquainted.  People in the publishing industry.  I suppose I am still sorting by threat level.  If this person hates me, will he just not hire me?  Or will he ruin my chances of ever publishing a novel?  Or perhaps he will only destroy me emotionally but leave my writing intact?

Whenever I have to do something anxiety-producing, I like to swipe a pair of my husband’s socks and wear those– especially if the thing I have to do involves driving in treacherous weather or confrontation/negotiation of any kind, because those are kind of his super-powers.  But when, at school, we had to present our design ideas to the college marketing team, everybody was so nervous about it, I thought I should be nervous also.  Maybe I would not get nervous until the presentation actually began.  I was only nervous about nervousness I didn’t even feel!

One of Mr Moth’s super powers is not public speaking, and we were supposed to dress business-y, so tube socks were not acceptable anyway, but when I was poking through my jewelry box for something to put on, I found this guitar pick, which he got at a Kiss concert back in the day.  I thought, Gene Simmons doesn’t have any problem being in front of groups of strangers! and I tucked the pick in the breast pocket of my jacket.

The presentation went ok, and we all survived, but much later when I remembered the pick and went to take it out of the jacket and put it away, it wasn’t there.  It wasn’t in the jewelry box, either.  And by then I couldn’t remember if I had washed the jacket or not; I’d only worn it for a few hours, so hard to tell.  I checked the jewelry box probably a dozen times, if not more, and it wasn’t there.  Earlier this week I broke down and told Mr Moth it was gone, that I had lost it.  He was bummed.

Earlier, in between bouts of crushing fatigue, I started reorganizing the contents of my dresser and closet.  I moved some non-clothing items into the office.  This week I started reorganizing the office.  And inside the jewelry box, where it had always been kept, and where I had looked probably a dozen times, was the pick.  In plain sight.  Right next to the fake pearls I wore to get married and Mr Moth’s class ring and some other inexpensive but important keepsakes.

Woot!

Now I can hang onto it while I hit “post entry.”