Remember?

Remember not so long ago when we were scared and held onto our loved ones, our friends, and even strangers?  Life and the pursuit of happiness suddenly were no longer a given.  We stared at the television:  structures collapsing amid billowing dust and smoke, men and women wondering zombie-like covered in white powder, newscasters in panic mode trying to report when, in fact, no one knew what the facts were.  Was this just the beginning?  Chaos and fear spread. 

Fear eventually turned to anger and a determination to fight back.  We, as a nation, strove to work together to make things right, to turn things around, and show the world what it means to be America strong.  No one cared about the color of a person’s hand when they lifted up the rubble trying to locate survivors or, where he or she went to church or what language they spoke. Questions weren’t asked as to what country a responder was born in as they pulled out a victim’s lifeless body.  Everyone’s blood looked the same running through the transfusion tubes on its way to save a life.  Elected officials broke down the barriers of party lines enough to help our mourning nation. We worked to restore our broken homeland.  We stood respectively for the American flag. Our military ranks swelled as young people saw their chance to help protect our land. We were united by a stronger bond than politics or race or gender. We were Americans! 

The United States proved that it could be one nation for all.  We flew our flags, raised money to help victims, and praised our first responders for their outstanding work and diligence, as well as for, in many cases, their ultimate sacrifices.  Churches, civic groups, and entertainers worked to comfort those in need and to soothe the cries of our frightened children.  Monuments were erected to those who lost their lives.  

Heroes, we had many heroes.  Most heroes never had their names mentioned on the nightly news or spelled out in the papers but their deeds helped pull us back from the brink.  They did what they did because it was the right thing to do.  We as a country stood together under one flag, one goal, all Americans.  We vowed to never forget. We created and celebrate Patriot Day. 

What happened? 

"A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has first destroyed itself from within….”

 Will Durant, The Story of Philosophy: The Lives and Opinions of the World's Greatest Philosophers 

Sharon

September: Time For Some Fresh Air

This year, 2020, will certainly go down in the history books as a one-way roller coaster ride, all downhill. At the very least, it has been way beyond stressful for most people.  What we took for granted in 2019, will never again be a sure thing.  Jobs and education have been put on hold.  Daycare for children and the infirm have not been available for those who need it.  Families and friends have become separated during times of joyful occasions and times of sorrow.  The simple act of a hug or kiss could turn deadly. 

Little annoyances have turned into bigger ones.  Delivery services are overburdened and have overtaken their capacity to deliver goods on time.  It isn’t a major issue if the shoes you ordered arrive two days later than promised but it could impact a person who needs their medication.  With a major upcoming election, some voters are unsure if mail-in ballots will arrive in time to be counted.  Even with the shadow of the coronavirus lurking, I believe many of us will stand in line and vote at designated polling places rather than take the slight risk of our vote not tabulated.

Grocery shopping has become one of my major annoyances. Well, actually, it’s always been near the top of my list.  Sure, wear the mask and fluctuate between a panic attack and respiratory distress.  I understand that spreading germs is bad!  Limiting the number of customers inside at one time is a good idea, keeping people spread out.  Then why, when I’m trying to get my groceries and get out quickly, do these customers have to congregate in the middle of an aisle and discuss the day’s activities while blocking anyone from getting around them. Half the store is empty!  They see me!  They can’t be blind and deaf to my “excuse me’s.”  They just ignore me and keep talking while pushing their young children back into the carts to sit next to the heads of lettuce and boxes of cereal. 

I’ve tried eye contact and raising my voice.  What if I say something that annoys one of them or is construed as offensive? My next instinct is to push my cart into their “cone of conversation” circle and see if that gets any attention but I suspect a riot and a food fight might be frowned upon by the establishment.  I worry too about our location.  Throwing bags of hamburger buns and dark rye bread is one thing but I’m trapped near the canned vegetables and soup.  Things could get ugly!  I could retreat, and go back the way I came from but that would mean I would be going against the direction the arrows are pointed.  If I’m apprehended by one of the store’s employees, they might disinfect me and make me start all over.  I could get stuck behind one of those people who have to pick up every bunch of bananas, looking for the perfect one or worse, a cantaloupe smeller.  Sweat is beading down my forehead and collecting on the rim of my mask.  What if I scream and yell that I’m having a heart attack?  Will someone get me through to the frozen foods section?  I just want my ice cream!!!

Seriously, with more people returning to work and schools trying to return to some sort of normal, we have a chance to calm down and stop taking our frustrations out on others.  Local schools around here are gearing up for Friday night football, and other activities are starting up on a limited, safe basis.  We are getting into a “places to go and things to do” mode that can have a calming effect on many of us.  Life isn’t going to suddenly change for the better but let’s strive for not making it worse. 

September reminds us that cooler temperatures are on the way and perhaps cooler dispositions will follow.  Yes, we’ve got many problems to solve; let us strive for sorting things out in less destructive ways. 

                        “Stay with me a while
                        I only wanna talk to you
                        We've traveled halfway 'round the world
                        To find ourselves again”

            Neil Diamond September Morn

Stay safe.  Wear a smile under your mask.  No one will see it but you’ll feel better and they’ll never know what you’re thinking as you pass them down Grocery Aisle 5.

Sharon

Turning Back Time

Some random thoughts

Cher said it best when she recorded If I Could Turn back Time. If, that two-letter word has been repeated many times this year.  IF we had known about the Pandemic sooner we could have been better prepared.  IF the leadership of all countries could have communicated with each other, regardless of politics and other differences, information could have been shared.  IF sane and responsible leadership had trickled down to include every city and town, no matter how small.  IF we had listened to our mother and washed our hands more often and learned it’s not good to cough in other people’s faces.

Let’s face reality.  The world was caught completely off-guard with this Pandemic and we all were clueless as to what to do.  With schools closed and social distancing, many of us have been able to slow down and think.  For some, that translates into new ways to support the family, catching up on home projects or maybe just spending more time with the kids. For others, it may be a time of self-evaluation with hopes of coming out of this situation a stronger, better person.

Then we have those who spend their time finding things to complain about.  Finding wrongs and attempting to fix them is an admirable cause but only it is in concurrence of acceptable and workable solutions. Dialogue and compromise must be part of the process.  Dialogue entails words and thoughts that are not shouted or accompanied by threats. No government on this planet is perfect. No law enforcement agency, judicial system, or health care system is perfect.  I can’t think of one person, living or dead that would or could fit that description.  Maybe if we tried to repair things instead of destroying them we’ all come out of this better.

If people generations before us had been more perfect, more socially conscious, more caring – you know, like we are today – the world would be a different place.  Unfortunately, we’re stuck with what we’ve got and we can’t just turn our backs on the past.  History is a little like an old brick house and changing or ignoring the past is equivalent to pulling the bricks out one by one.  Eventually, the structure will collapse and leave all those residing within homeless. Let’s try to settle our differences and keep our house intact.

Truth is, we all need a breather.  Let’s take a break from this virus, violence, inequality, and politics and go back in time when none of this existed.  Yeah, right.  When you find it, let us know!!!

Seriously, we can’t turn back time but we can try to make a better future.

In other news… Folks have been checking if there is another Survivalist book in the works.  As you know, starting with number thirty, they were a joint project of Bob Anderson and me.  When Bob passed away this January I just had to step away for a while and regroup.  I wasn’t ready to think about working on it without Bob.  He loved the series, had some crazy ideas to move the story forward, and was a superb wordsmith. Mostly he was a good friend and I will miss him.  I’m ready to move on now and after a few other projects are completed, Survivalist #37, Ride the Dragon, will be in the works.   The Rourke gang still has a lot of trouble to get themselves out of. I’ll keep you posted.

Sharon

The Perfect Hero?

Recently, someone commented that he wasn’t a big fan of THE SURVIVALIST series because John Rourke’s character was too perfect; he was too smart, too good in a fight, and well, just too…  I wonder if this person realized that this was an intentional character flaw that we gave Rourke.  Most writers tend to make their main characters, especially action heroes, good at what they do such as shooting, driving and, getting all the girls.  Our thoughts were that too much of a good thing could turn out badly.

Here you’ve got a guy who wants nothing more than to live life with his family and protect them from danger.  Unfortunately, he knows too much about potential disasters-both causes and effects- and spends way too much time away from his family pursuing money to buy stuff to fill up a fancy cave where he intends for them all to happily live for however long the situation deems it necessary.  Can you just picture the conversation when Rourke decides the pizza is about to hit the fan?  “Hey, honey, it’s time for us to leave our home and trek up into the mountains where I’ve got this retreat.  We can stay there for years!  Sorry, no cable but plenty of VHS tapes to watch.  No, the kids can’t bring a friend. Oh, did I mention that there’s a waterfall in the living room?  Wait until you see the new microwave I got you!”

Rourke just can’t win.  He has made himself an expert on just about everything from flying planes, outdoor survival skills, to weaponry.  He speaks Russian, is a doctor who can perform life-saving surgical techniques, and he is a published author.  He sounds like a walking encyclopedia!  The one thing he could never get a grip on was the technique involved in understanding and communicating with women.

He loves his wife, Sarah, but continues a platonic relationship with another woman who is equally skilled in his areas of expertise and is, of course, beautiful.  He further destroys their marriage when he allows the children to grow into adulthood without Sarah’s involvement.  While he was searching for her, Sarah had been forced into becoming a survivor, doing whatever necessary to keep her children safe, including killing bad guys. Rourke continues to see her as a person needing his protection.

Adding to the tension, Rourke invites this other woman, along with his new found friend, a nerdy guy that he picked up along the way, to stay and live with them in this rocky retreat for however long it takes for civilization to stagger back.  So there goes any chance of having a good loud argument/hissy-fit.  Now she’s expected to cook for a crowd!  Oh yeah, and then they’re all going to sleep together!  In this cave! For how long???

Rourke and Sarah never stop loving each other but nor can they live together.  They part company.  She falls in love and marries someone who understands her.  He continues to become involved in saving the world, one person at a time. Many, many years down the road, Rourke falls in love with another woman, Emma, a self-confident woman accustomed to taking charge.  Of course, the one time comes when Emma and the family really need him and he has gone AWOL during a mission, leaving them to straighten things out.  It seems like everyone can count on John Rourke, except his family.

Actually, Rourke may be the main character in The Survivalist but really, the series has and still relies on the other characters to show their growth and resilience. None of us are born with the knowledge necessary to survive life’s pitfalls but we learn, one upset to the next.  If we don’t learn, we don’t survive.

Yes, JTR is boring.  You pretty much know what he’s wearing each day.  His basic weapons tend to be the same except for some additions over the years.  His preference in alcohol and smokes never change.  He sees the world in black and white, right and wrong.  You are either with him or against him.  Yes, he is strong; he is self-confident, but every once and a while the facade cracks and we see a glimpse of who he really is. The Ubermensch is still just a mortal man.

Sharon

THE GAME OF PRETEND

Someone said that penning fiction showed the immaturity of certain writers; that made-up stories were an easy copout rather than real stories presenting hard facts based on research.  Personally, I thought that person must be loaded with BS but without the scientific research necessary, I couldn’t prove it.  Maybe some fiction writers are immature but what’s wrong with that?  Some of our best research was accomplished at an early age.

Recently I watched the movie, HOOK, starring the late Robin Williams. It is the story of Peter Pan, now a father, with neither the time nor patience for childish ways, who must return to Neverland to rescue his two children, kidnapped by the evil Captain Hook.  Unfortunately, Peter has no recollection of his earlier life or his flying skills. He doesn’t remember ever being a child or thinking like one.  Peter must rely on help from Tinkerbell and the Lost Boys who are still miffed that he left Neverland to grow up and eventually have a family of his own and, even worse, he becomes a lawyer! 

As we know with stories like this, Peter strips away the fetters of civilized adulthood and relies on his imagination and childlike confidence to save the day.  Along the journey, he realizes that the bridge between childhood and adulthood can and should be traveled both ways.  Essentially, Peter learns to lighten up!

I think there’s a little Peter Pan in most fiction writers.  We tend to let our imagination run amuck.  We see something or hear about an incident and wonder what would happen if?  A person sitting near you in a restaurant grabs your attention and you start wondering who they really are and what are they writing on that piece of paper.  Will they slip it to the waiter or perhaps another patron passing by the table?  Voyeurism and imagination are useful writing tools.

As children, wrapping paper rolls were never thrown away until they were rendered utterly useless as swords or head boppers, finally  flattened and ripped apart after our last encounter with bad guys or our little brothers and sisters.  Our fighting skills were honed using those cardboard rolls and later reenacted by our characters in their life or death battles against evil soldiers and fire breathing dragons. 

We raced across neighbors’ yards and down alleys being either chased or pursuing bad guys, knowing that if we hit a tree or bounced off a curb at the wrong angle, the chase was over until the front wheel got fixed and worse still, Mom told Dad!  Many a car chase grew out of those high-speed two-wheeled adventures.  It didn’t take much to expand our knowledge to include double pedaling and downshifting.  But, the sounds of the motor never sounded as great as baseball cards being throttled by bicycle spokes.

We have a tendency to incorporate our family and friends into our stories.  Our children became the inspiration for Michael and Annie in the Survivalist Series, our nephew was an ongoing character in the Track Series and the whole family ended up in our novel, Written in Time, along with Teddy Roosevelt.  Real-life friends are scattered throughout many of our books, after first getting their permission. 

Fiction writing means you have to accept the fact that there is a lot going on between the colors black and white.  That huge gap can be filled with stories out of this world or over the fence next door.  What did Angie say to Bob that caused such a ruckus?  Out of all the stars I see tonight why is that one different?  I wonder why?  A writer might remember sitting inside a blanket tent with a canteen of water and a plate of Mom’s chocolate chip cookies and lifting the corner of the blanket to discover a vast jungle inhabited by deadly creatures and spear-holding natives, instead of Grandma sitting in her overstuffed chair knitting, her big yellow cat perched beside her, purring, a clock loudly ticking on the wall.

Who knows for sure what makes a person want to tell stories.  Maybe some writers are looking for their own universe to control; some might be hiding a past reality, disguising it behind a facade of fiction. Some of us just want to crow about a story and see if it will fly.

Sharon