#trust30 - Day 1

As promised, here's the Day 1 prompt for #trust30:

Gwen Bell – 15 Minutes to Live

We are afraid of truth, afraid of fortune, afraid of death, and afraid of each other. Our age yields no great and perfect persons. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
You just discovered you have fifteen minutes to live.
1. Set a timer for fifteen minutes.
2. Write the story that has to be written.
(Author: Gwen Bell)

And my response. It isn't a story. May that be the first of many mistakes to come.

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It's always about fear, isn't it? Fear is the thing, more than any other, that holds us back. It's that little nagging voice at the back of the mind that says what makes you think you can do that? It's the doubt that keeps us from trying. It's what keeps us from discovering who we really are, what we can be. Because what if we're wrong? What if we're not all we believe ourselves to be? What if someone laughs at us, or makes fun of us?

Well, what if they do? Here I am, fifteen minutes to live--what do I care about what everyone thinks? If I'm to leave a legacy, here's the legacy I would leave: 1) He chose love as often as he could. 2) He failed often because he tried many things--not because he was afraid to try.

Because if we are willing to try, willing to step out of our fear-shells and take a risk--above all, willing to fail on the way to success--who can stop us? What, other than death, can keep us from reaching our goals? After all, every one of us will die one of these days. Will I die on the way to my goal, or worrying about how hard it will be to get there? Will my end come as I am reaching with all my heart for what I know I can be--or will it catch me cringing, avoiding the discomfort of reaching?

Anybody who knows me knows I've spent much of my life cringing. I'm done with that now. I will be known for the mistakes I made--or for the victories I won because I was willing to make mistakes--not for the chances I missed. Or ignored.

Fifteen minutes to live? Let this be my legacy. In those fifteen minutes, I lived.

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Care to share yours?
HN

Something New

We'll start with a status update. I'm just over 600 words into Chapter 20 of my Civil War drummer story right now. With a little luck, I'll finish my first draft by the middle of June. My plan is to have it done before I head to the Historical Novel Society conference on June 17th. I've got a lot of writing to do between now and then--but it's manageable.

And speaking of writing: today I signed up for a challenge. The Domino Project, a new publishing venture headed by Seth Godin, one of the world's greatest Internet marketers, sent me the link to a 30-day writing challenge: #trust30. Each day, a new writing prompt will be posted on the challenge web site; participants are to write something based on that prompt and Tweet about it using the #trust30 hashtag when they're finished.

To be honest, this is quite a stretch for me. But it's by stretching, forcing ourselves past the boundaries we think constrain us, that we grow. A tree's roots can shatter a sidewalk or the foundation of a house if the tree is allowed to grow as its nature directs--why do we constrain ourselves to do only those things at which we're sure we won't fail? How much more could we accomplish if we could see past our own fear?

Well, I'm going to try to find out. I'll be responding to as many prompts as I can and posting the responses here.

Stand by for the first. I'll be posting it tonight.

HN

What Is Memorial Day For?

For most of us, today is the unofficial first day of summer. It's a day for barbecue and beer and hanging out at the lake, or by the pool, or watching the kids run through the backyard sprinklers. Maybe it's the extra day you needed to get some stuff done around the house. Or maybe it's just a day to relax and be glad you don't have to go to work.

All those are fine things. But they are not what Memorial Day is about.

The world has changed since my childhood. But we are still a long way from a world without war.

As long as there are people and organizations and governments who would impose their will and whims on others by force, others must be willing to resist. By force.

And where force resists force, people die. Violently. Often horribly. Such is the way of war.

We honor those who come home with medals and parades. We meet them at the airport, cheer them, shake their hands. When we learn someone has served, we thank them.

Memorial Day is for those who don't come home. It's our way of remembering our country's sons and daughters who have died violently, often horribly, in our wars. Those for whom love of country, or freedom, or home, or their friends demanded the highest price they could pay. Those who died exhausted, filthy, terrified, and far, far from home.

Those whose blood has purchased our freedom, extended our lease on this dream of a better life, a better world for a little while longer.

Spend a moment today remembering someone you knew who went to war and didn't come back. If you can't think of a name, ask your parents. If they can't, ask your grandparents. If you still can't come up with a name--remember Tommy Folks. Or find another name online. Or go to a military cemetery near you and spend fifteen minutes walking among the gravestones. Plant a flag at one. Let our war dead know, let their families know, that we honor their sacrifice.

It's worth a few minutes of your time.

You can learn more about Memorial Day at this site: http://www.usmemorialday.org/.

HN

Checking In

I've been out of touch for a few weeks.

My first excuse: I'm trying to finish the first draft of my new novel in the next two weeks, before I head to the Historical Novel Society conference in California. It's going well...but I've got some work to do. Finished Chapter 19 (of probably 25 to 28) on Thursday night.

My second excuse: my day job has had me traveling to Jacksonville, Florida for the last three weeks--and I'm going back for the next two. Busy days, getting a lot done, but it really cuts into the writing time.

That said, I'll try to get back on before the end of the weekend to do an entry for Memorial Day. Last year I blogged about Tommy Folks. This year's entry will be a little broader in scope, and not quite so personal.

In the meantime, here's a cool Civil War link: Civil War 150. Like everything else from the History Channel, it's pretty basic information--but there's some good stuff there, in a format that's easy to digest quickly. You could call it a Civil War snack, one that might inspire you to go back for a meal later. Be sure to look at the other topics and vote for your favorites!

That's all I've got for now. Now go get your nerd on!
HN