06-20-24: it's the twentieth, and only the first time in June writing... weird man, weird. I had shoulder surgery ten days ago (nothing too nasty), and have enough motion to type so long as my arms hang naturally by the sides. Not much to say really, my mycology experiment didn't go very well -- contamination! It sucks to go a few months on a new endeavor only to have it spoil before fruit production... it's a blow to the ego to not have things work correctly the first time, but persistence usually pays off with these matters. I'm not used to working in contamination-free environments, so i need to reconcile that weakness if i'm to progress.
Not thinking about much lately, i did a zillion physical things leading up to the surgery, and then shut-off everything remotely physical since the ninth. I figured that would help stimulate some more topics to write about once i was finally still for a bit... nope, not at all. I want to see what the editors do with the manuscript before I begin the next in the series... I guess i've been anxious about getting their version back. The returned script will generate a ton more work on my part, and worried a bit about the workload. Also hoping that it isn't an exercise of vanity, if the book doesn't sell i'll never make any of the money back on it, so there is a leap of faith that never feels comfortable. The content is a solid outline, but i was inspired to write it after becoming increasingly frustrated with the pace of a leader-guided group recovery-centric series... but I more or less condensed the theories down to something that an individual could use at a much faster pace. It's already helped a few people that proof-read it for me, and it's already inspired someone to start writing too, so those early fruits ought to be good indicators, yet anxiety beats the positive... it's a shameful condition.
I've also got two other manuscripts that are unrelated to the series, I might pick one back up and see if I can get cranking on it before I get the other one back from the editors. The non-fiction one (resume-based) should be easier, it doesn't require a ton of creativity. Then, there is this other thing... ministry... i'm contemplating enrolling in a master's program even though I didn't complete any undergraduate studies. I should be able to get accepted, and keep up with studies, but not sure how I would pay for it, the VA doesn't fund 'religious studies' programs, so there's a bunch more to consider. But looking at programs is still a decent starting point, and that's where i'm at. It partly seems like another exercise of vanity, I don't need a degree to serve God, made it fifty-something years without one, but it feels like now is the time to pursue religious studies... seems like it's time to step things up a bit.
Anyhow, I've got a great mug of coffee in front of me, and it's now captured my attention... so toodles, be blessed, enjoy your day, and make the most of potential opportunities to make the world a better place. -- ct