this blog, along with "back issues" also appears at gretchenleebourquin.com/blog
Earlier this week, I bought myself Chinese food for lunch. I fumbled through about half my meal with the complementary chop sticks before surrendering to the plastic fork. Then I opened my fortune cookie. Nothing. The fortune cookie was empty.
What? How was I going to go back to my desk and get anything done without that guidance?
Okay. So it wasn't that bad. Like a lot of people, I suppose, I look at things like fortune cookies and horoscopes as checkpoints of sorts. They are little flashes of things that make you go, "hmmm," and then you move on. It's rare that I can even recall these flashes of wisdom even a short time later.
Then on Thursday I had taken my laptop to a coffee shop after work to do some writing. When I do this, I try not to take the cord, as it's just more bulk and if I'm all charged up, I'm usually fine. I ran my battery down to the last 10% or so, and closed myself off for the night only to discover that the cord no longer worked.
Ugh! This was much worse than an empty fortune cookie! Luckily, I have Internet access on my Wii, and I was able to order a new cord, but it won't come for at least a few days, and I had things I needed to write -- including this blog which is supposed to come out on every Saturday. The Wii is fun, but trying to write using a video game controller is not. So here I am, writing it ahead of time on a borrowed computer.
My weekend networking will not go as I planned, and much of it will most likely be replaced with a more low tech alternative, like reading a book or maybe even writing a poem with a good old fashioned pen. I've been working on my novel lately, and the last few days I've found myself craving poetry. Maybe this is a chance I wouldn't have given myself voluntarily without that little push from the Universe.
Life throws you a curveball sometimes, and you just have to make the best of it. Sometimes it turns out better than you think. Stick that in your fortune cookie.


Comments: 17
I've featured this today in the Saturday Writing Essential. ;o)
A few weeks ago, our neighborhood lost power ~ while I was writing a letter to an old friend on my PC. Poof! Gone!
I keep an antique oil lamp filled, and use it periodically for ambiance. I lit the lamp, sat down at the dining room table with a glass of wine, and HAND WROTE the letter to my friend. It was a lovely evening.
Good blog.
I've had many disconnection problems with my PC this year. I hope things work out for you soon.. And, I'm glad you got caught up on your other stuff, that does make for a lovely turn.
Ah, technical woes. That's why my favorite word processor is me and my favored instrument is the pen. Old school, I know, but incredibly reliable in thunderstorms and power outages! LOL.