Pulling Meself Up By Me Bootstraps . . .
This is what my wise mother says that you've got to do when you are faced with adversity:
pull youself up by your bootstaps.
Truer words were never spoken.
The "adversity" that I encountered today was a privilege. I need to remember that.
I cannot express how grateful I am to all of you, and how great-full each of you are. So much wisdom and encouragement that you shared through comments, emails, and conversation. I felt grounded by your thoughts, ideas, and support. I felt that I had been on a long trip and finally walked in the front door of my destination, greeted by
I cannot express how grateful I am to all of you, and how great-full each of you are. So much wisdom and encouragement that you shared through comments, emails, and conversation. I felt grounded by your thoughts, ideas, and support. I felt that I had been on a long trip and finally walked in the front door of my destination, greeted by
hugs, beer, cheesecake, and flannel sheets on a soft bed.
"Let's be grateful for those who give us happiness; they
are the charming gardeners who make our soul bloom."
--Marcel Proust
"Let's be grateful for those who give us happiness; they
are the charming gardeners who make our soul bloom."
--Marcel Proust
posted by Cate at 9:51 PM
16 Comments:
i am so glad that you have felt the support that you need today. and that you realized that you have it all inside you as well.
flannel sheets and beer...sounds like a good way to end the day...
Well, in MY opinion, you can have cheesecake with ANYTHING!!
I'm glad that you feel better & supported. I feel cheered and supported by you every day so it's good that the favour was returned. Now that you feel better I can say that your writing is truly amazing. You have a unique voice that really appeals to me (and obviously many others too!) I really love reading your words. that publisher has lost his mind.
XO
I am so glad you are feeling better and have found some comfort from us your readers.
Rejection is hard but what is harder in my opinion is to actively pursue it.
You are brave and you should be proud of that rejection letter. Just think it will make "the one" that is accepted all the sweeter.
Good job Cate!
a.
Beer and doughnuts aren't all bad- especially the glazed. Life is FULL of people who will tell you what you could/should do better (read more like them.) The secret is to find the group that does support. Then you have someone to make fun of the negative group with.
I have been trying to catch up. Got a little over stimulated with all the cursing going in the last blog! Way to go girl! love the f'n cursing, damn it!
Then I read that you have a DYSON vacuum cleaner. Things got a little fuzzy after that. I want a damn dyson! I expected that purple wonder machine this christmas, but our daughters preschool education comes first. sigh
I hope you know, that rejections are actually good. It means you are doing something, and someone is reading your stuff. And it gives you good, honest reasons to curse on the blog!@###$%^^&%
If you did not get rejected, you would be too busy to keep writing to us. That would be bad.
Goddamn it, eating cheesecake, drinking beer, while on soft flannel sheets, now that sounds fuckin good to me. Way to go, you mom/writer/artist you!
enjoy the cheesecake....and please just don't worry about stupid magazine people. Ann Marie is right...just keep going and everything will sort out....don't let it get you down.The world is big enough for everyone's talent...
take care....
Cate -
I read your blog all the time...this one was one of very few that you centered...
I see this as subliminal or subconcious stregth :)
You are CENTERED!
:)
Bradley
The Egel Nest
Hey, the gentler(sp?), sweeter, less trash mouth, mom in me says, you can pull yeeself up by yoo bootsraps, but yee have us. We are reading and responding. It is all in good time.
Patience my dear Cate.
We are you're bootstraps, right? see and I chuckle.
You spelled it wrong. bootstaps.
See, I see you as someone who is perfect, or as perfect as I want to be.
I once read, "typos are for your pleasure".
I hope you are smiling.
The bootstraps metaphor is so true! You have to conjure your own leverage to overcome adversity in writing. No one around you can haul you over the obstacles. A little push, sure, but you have to get over the edge yourself. It's just you and a blinking cursor.
Cate, I'm so sorry to hear about your stupid rejection letter -- and your rant had a kind of joyfully woeful abandon to it that was fun to read. As always. I have spent so much time baffled over what publishers accept vs what they don't -- I'll read something and think THIS? REALLY? This got through the slush pile? And then gems don't. I've read some of the stories you have posted in your links and they're terrific -- the submission process is SO unrewarding. I've had so much more fun submitting children's writing; it doesn't feel so exclusive and snooty, or so impossible. I shudder to think of submitting a story to a literary magazine -- I'm afraid of those people!
May you always enjoy the cheesecake and flannel sheets of friendship!
Oh beer and cheescake sound so great together.
Your writing is not cliche by a long shot. I love it and lament that I haven't had enough time to keep up on it lately.
Beer, cheesecake, flannel sheets and all that sounds good to me! You totally brought a smile to my face tonight :) See.
Everyone invited to my place for beer, cheesecake, and curse words!!
Thanks again to every one of you. You just have no idea how much I appreciate you all . . .
P.S. Rebecca, I realized mid-day that I had misspelled "bootstraps" but I couldn't be bothered to fix it. I like you quote about typos--I might put it in my profile!
"There is a calmness to a life lived in Gratitude, a quiet joy."
~ Ralph H. Blum ~ ( American Author )
I LOVE the idea of hugs, beer, cheesecake, and flannel sheets. :-)
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