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I was struggling with what to write this month. Personally, things have been a bit crazy, hectic, weird, wonky, whatever over the past three months. Then Jimmy Buffett died September 1, ironically at the end of summer when school returns and life resumes as normal (even thought it's technically still summer until the Fall Equinox on September 23). Normally, I wouldn't do a tribute or anything to anyone but Jimmy has held a special place in my heart the past three months. You see, I've been listening to his music every day all day long since I moved! No idea why. But it helped me through a lot of the hard stuff.
Jimmy even made his way into a short story I wrote and published:
My phone fell off the table while Jimmy Buffett serenaded me about looking for salt over my earbuds.
In fact, the main character of that story will appear in future ones. So will Jimmy.
It wasn't only his love of the sea and his storytelling that I enjoyed, but how he lived life to the fullest and got to do what he loved best. Is that my takeaway from the past three months?
What I love to do the most is to write. To create. To tell stories. To take time to rest and relax in between all the big stuff. A-HA! There's my treasure! I've been one of those people who has juggled so much for so long that relaxing is difficult. I still have to be busy.
A friend called one day and I told her I was being lazy. My version of lazy was editing a book! Her version was sitting and enjoying a cup of coffee. It was a weird moment when I realized I've been so trained to constantly do and have never taken a lot of time to just enjoy the fruits of my labour. To celebrate the new books. To savor the reviews and the comments. To treat myself when I reach the milestones: finished books, published books, moving across the country to a new life.
There will always be deadlines. Always be another book, more podcasts, work to do, and dramas to smooth over - mostly not mine!
That short story I mentioned? It's called On Beach Time. While the main character, Dash, is a private detective, she takes life one case at a time while listening to Jimmy Buffett songs. It was also the most fun I've had writing in years! And she will be back!
I have been told recently that I work too hard. I take on too much. I need to play more. It's all true. This fall, I'm working on finding balance in my life and time to do the things I love!
Is that what you've been trying to tell me all summer, Jimmy?
Keep your toes in the sand,
Diane Bator
Escape With a Writer
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