Knocked Over

Between unanticipated family and work drama… I haven’t had much more energy than dragging myself through the week this week. Interspersed with finding fictional distractions. I’d never heard of Issa Rae before I read a New York Times interview with her Wednesday, but then I binge-watched all of season 1. Having more than a passing acquaintance with awkward, I spent a lot of time sympathy laughing with the main character, J. Lucky for me, tonight and tomorrow night are the height of the Perseid meteor showers–though from what we can see so far, it will be more cloud watching than searching for shooting stars.

It may take a few more days to re-sort myself and find my energy again.

Especially since we had to take it easy on the walks this week, too. Hubs got caught in an explosion of Husky out the front door that had him tangled in the door handle, wrecked the storm door, and badly strained some of his intercostal muscles. We took a couple of short (less than half a mile) walks I didn’t record, and two long ones I did, for a total of 5.7 miles for the week. Tonight we got back on the walking train, and I’ll be feeling it tomorrow.

I’m also dealing with computer issues once again. I followed the Microsoft recommendation to update to Windows 10 Thursday… only to end up with another Blue Screen Of Death. The computer has been off since then as I marshal the intestinal fortitude to deal with that complication.

This week also saw me revisiting the Hugo award controversy with a colleague, who had pointed out the widely reported news that a female author’s attempt at finding an agent was significantly boosted when she used a man’s name. Which then reminded me of the older SFWA hullaballoo about the Nebulas. I don’t know what prompted it, but this all happened on the same day there was a trending Twitter topic of #womenwrite. I’m so grateful to have found a community of women writers who are mutually supportive–they will continue to have my thanks by their presence in the perma-links in the right rail of my blog. Sometimes, though… these stories just reinforce how tired I am. Luckily, I mostly write my stories to find out how they end (and… I will never get over the journalist’s addiction of seeing my own byline), so it’s easy enough for me to get past the issue. I just worry for those who either are more deterred by others’ nastiness, or those who aren’t blessed with the support network I have. So I will send out {{virtual hugs}} for anyone who needs them and lend a cheerleader’s enthusiasm for anyone struggling with why they have to tolerate those mean spirited, misdirected souls who feel the need to tear down someone else’s achievement.

Hubs, of course, sent more links along those lines, too. Socrates was on point with an answer to the misogyny outlined above:

“The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world, is to be in reality what we would appear to be; and if we observe, we shall find, that all human virtues increase and strengthen themselves by the practice of them.” ~ Socrates

So I’ll be trying to strengthen my practice of writing and taking care of myself this week to regain momentum for this round. In the meantime, I suggest checking out how the other ROW80 participants are doing. I’ll be back next week to report on my progress.