One of my theology professors had a decidedly un-Reformed sign outside his study door. It read “Confessions heard Wednesdays 4pm.”
At least I think it was Wednesday at 4:00. Which, coincidentally, it will be, here, in about 10 minutes!
I’m pretty sure George got the sign at a junk store. I’m also pretty sure he was kidding.
I, on the other hand, am not kidding. Here’s mine…
On Monday, seemingly out of nowhere (as long as “nowhere” is code for divine inspiration) I had an idea!
An idea for a way I could actually help people doing a whole bunch of adapting in the midst of the Corona virus chaos, one of whom is me.
The same idea has the potential of letting a wider web of people know what I do, which seems like a good thing.
And, even better, it was an idea I actually believed I could just go POOF and make happen.
Today, with the help of a dear friend, I was ready for a test run.
Enter a bit of reality.
Let’s just say the technology was not quite as intuitively obvious as I dreamed it would be! (And yes, if you know me you’re welcome to laugh!)
The photo bears witness to the one line I actually managed to get on the demo paper. It’s a great line. Some of you may even recognize it as the beginning of a face!
And the really, really good news is that the dear, helpful test run buddy could see it! (This after about half an hour of camera, sound, signal and, undoubtedly, user error sorts of challenges!)
My friend, who probably would much rather have stayed to play with me, had to go see a guy about a leaky basement.
Here’s the confession part… I was ready for an old fashioned Southern comeapart. I blocked off half an hour on my calendar, until the canine fine dining event, busted out the really, really dark chocolate, and sought comfort in my magic chair, complete with my favorite quilt.
Giving her enough time for me to eat one row of chocolate squares, I let my Inner Critic have her say about how clueless I was and how old my toys were and how nobody ever actually answers the way-out questions I ask.
Then I tempted my Muse out of hiding with two rows of chocolate squares. She reminded me that my idea was actually a good one and people really did need this process. She also mentioned that there are a whole bunch of diplomas with my name on them hanging in the basement which might suggest that I’ve learned some hard stuff before. I was breathing more normally by then so we took a break to feed the beasties who want you to know that they were very polite and grateful.
Back in my chair, I invited my new imaginary friend, the Storytelling Ape, to help me tell you about my day. The Storytelling Ape uses her powers for good and is undoubtedly related to the Muse. (Thank you, Sam and Veronica, for the introduction!)
Just then, a surprise happened!
The Legendary Husband came wandering in with today’s batch of mail and a box I didn’t recognize. Who did I find inside but the embodied Storytelling Ape who used to live at EBay but has, clearly, now taken up residence in the Studio, ready to help!
And now that the Storytelling Ape, the Legendary Husband, and I all know a great deal more about what I didn’t know I didn’t know, my idea is a whole lot closer to becoming real. And, just for a bonus, I have progressed, in the last few hours, to the point where seeing myself on Zoom has actually started feeling like a good thing!!!
I’ll keep you posted! For now, hugs and much love from all the gang at my house to you and yours. Be safe. Be well. And check around for your Storytelling Ape!