Just Searching for a Friend

Sunday morning breakfast was heaven. But I was not yet ready to go home. Should I go right and hit the nature center for a quick walk? A little exercise would be good for me, but nah… not today. I was about to turn left and drive home when another option popped into my head. Books! There was a Barnes and Nobles close by. I really can’t afford to buy books right now, but maybe I could find something cheap in the bargain books. And even if I didn’t buy anything, it was always comforting to just be in the presence of so many books.

A favorite author becomes like an old friend. A familiar voice speaks as you open the cover and read the opening paragraph. It is a comfort as you curl up on the couch under a blanket and become reacquainted. Today I really needed to find one of my old friends. I had nothing in mind to buy, but I knew I would find something.

But as I walked up to the store I glanced at the display window, stopped short and almost left. It was filled with Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck. I cringed, no friends of mine… I blocked them from my mind and went inside. I wandered about looking at the new selections. Checked out the tech books and mentally reminded myself of my plan to teach myself html coding. What was I thinking when I bought that book? *sigh*

I turned the corner and headed towards a display table. It was there I found a friend; Wally Lamb,“The Hour I First Believed.”

Many years ago I bought my first Wally Lamb book solely from the title,“She’s Come Undone.” It was reflective of me and my life at the time. I am certain it was neither the first time nor the last, that I bought a book because I liked the title. I have also bought books because I liked the cover, particularly if the cover is green. So keep that in mind should you ever want me to buy your book.

I continued to meander through the store, but nothing really caught my eye. So I planned to do a quick check of the shelves containing the bargain books. It was there that I spotted another friend, Anne LaMott. The book I found was “Grace (Eventually).”

LaMott is a relatively new friend for me. I was introduced to her last year in my creative writing class. It was one of the few bright spots in that class. I had taken the class thinking it would be my easy class. I was also taking a required math class that semester. As I have a math phobia, I needed something to balance it out. Oh was I wrong. Math was the class I enjoyed. Creative writing sucked! I have never felt more uncreative in my life.

In a way, Anne Lamott saved me in that class. LaMott’s “Bird by Bird” was required reading. I was trying too hard to be perfect. She enlightened me to the fact that “shitty first drafts” are acceptable and in fact necessary. With that in mind, I plunged forward and managed to write the required weekly “shitty first draft.” Getting through the revisions and subsequent rewrites were a little more traumatic, but I survived intact.

The LaMott book that I found was “Grace (Eventually).” The content doesn’t really matter as I trust the friend will not disappoint. I can’t wait to curl up on the couch and open the cover to the first page.

Speak to me dear friend...