I had a memory. Okay, stop giggling, it’s the best opening sentence I could think of.
Actually, it was a simple snapshot in time that wafts through my head on occasion. Let me set the scene for you: It was a very sunny, hot summer day. I was about ten, maybe eleven; I don’t remember exactly. Judging by my recollection of the heat, it must have been mid-afternoon and quite calm. I was breathing hard like I’d been playing and needed to rest. I was alone near the barn at my childhood home, the cotton farm where I grew up on the South Plains of Texas. I was sweaty and dirty; nothing extraordinary for a ten-year-old farm kid of ten (maybe eleven), right?
I was shoeless wearing a torn white t-shirt topping frayed blue jeans with both knees worn totally through. I backed up to the clothesline pole and slid down it to sit on hard packed grassless ground. Somewhere, off in the distance, I heard the drone of a prop-driven airliner (It was the early sixties, after all.) And, besides the incessant buzzing of pesky gnats in my ears, it was the only sound around.
Now, here’s the reason this memory, this much less than extraordinary moment comes back to me with increasing regularity as the years reel off; it happened to be the first time that it occurred to me that life was a one-way trip. As cozy and happy as I felt at that instant, I realized that that moment would soon pass and never return. Oh, there’d be thousands of other moments, but not that one. I’ve often wondered if a thought like that, at that age, made me an odd kid. Did it? Was I?
But, there was more to that moment than a single odd prepubescent philosophical mental meandering, because that thought led directly into another. One in which I became acutely aware how well I had it at the time. Oh sure, Dad would spank me black and blue on occasion and cuss a blue streak if I failed to do as I was told. Sailors had nothing on Texas cotton farmers when it came to salty language. There was even a time he made me sit at the dinner table and would not let me leave until I ate at least one Brussels sprout. I did, I puked, and then went outside to play. We weren’t impoverished, but we weren’t tripping over treasure chests either. Still, life was good and even then, as a carefree kid of ten, maybe eleven, it was at that exact moment that I realized just how good.
I have absolutely no memory of any other part of that day. But, the heat, the airplane drone, the gnats, the sunshine—everything about that minute of my life is indelibly printed in my consciousness.
I believe most people, me included, have had a moment, the paradigm, in which self-awareness sort of flies out of the cosmos and slaps us in the face. That’s also when we first discover our place in the world and begin developing a niche to fill. Sadly, I also believe there are some who live entire lifetimes never believing they have or deserve a place in the world.
As for me, it only took a rest period at playtime, circa 1960, maybe ’61, to know, to deeply believe that not only did I have a place in the world, it came with a road that I’d travel for a lifetime.
Have a wonderful day. Life is good.
Author of
"Six Years' Worth"/Father's Press/mainstream/print & ebook
"Paradise Flawed"/Dream Books LLC/action-adventure/print & ebook
"Where Are You, Anne Bonny?"/Rogue Phoenix Press/ historical drama/ ebook only
“Trouble”, short story/CrossTIME Science Fiction Anthology, Vol. IX/print only
“Dancing Away”/ short story/romance/Untreed Reads/ebook only
“Phobia”/Booktrope/2012/suspense-thriller/print & ebook
“Helping Hand For Ethan/Rogue Phoenix Press/2012/young adult/ebook only
“Defining Family”/Whiskey Creek Press/2012/young adult/print & ebook
“Annie’s World: Jake’s Legacy”/ATTM Press/ July 2012/soft science fiction/print & ebook
COMING SOON
“The Last Radiant Heart” (re-release)
“Hackberry Corners, Texas 1934”
“Life, Love, and Lubbock”
Search Daniel Lance Wright on Amazon.com
Novelist
Daniel (Danny) Lance Wright, Author
Monday, February 13, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
This Oldie Needs to Sweat
The time has come that I must talk on a subject that, at one time was extremely important to me, but not lately—exercise. My forehead is getting damp and I’m breathing harder just thinking about it.
Any sane person would believe that I should be doing more than just thinking about it; right? Yeah, I know you’re right. That’s why I’m currently in the process of psyching up to, once again, make it an appointment activity in my life. It’s sure not because I don’t have the time. I know I need to whip this old body back into shape. It’s just that the whipper isn’t what it used to be.
It’s worth pointing out that I still hold valid fitness trainer certification through the National Endurance and Strength Training Association. I don’t mention this to be boastful; quite the opposite actually. My belly button disappeared months ago. Yep, I just checked where I’m sure it used to be. It’s nowhere to be seen. Now, that glossy eight-by-ten certificate with an official looking gold seal on it just seems ridiculous; oh, the irony of it.
Yesterday, I made the comment that I plan on being eighteen till I die (and, yes, I listen to Bryan Adams version of it often). Interestingly, it’s fairly easy to believe I’m still youthful, vivacious, good looking and can party till the sun comes up ... as long as I’m sitting still in a room with no mirrors.
Realistically, I’m not looking to compete in senior power lifting events or participate in bodybuilding competitions. I just want to be able to get down on my knees and back up to my feet without wishing for a forklift assist. I used to laugh at that “I’ve fallen and can’t get up” commercial. I can’t see the humor in it anymore.
If you haven’t guessed it yet, this blog entry is a message to self that I’ve decided to share. I have lots of life left in me, but if I don’t get up and get moving ... well, I think you can guess the rest of this sentence.
Maybe this is working after all. I do have a spark of excitement about getting an exercise regimen together and hitting it. Oh, to sweat and breathe deeply the satisfaction of putting this old body back into shape. Yes, yes! I’ll do it ... right after my nap.
Author of
"Six Years' Worth"/Father's Press/mainstream/print & ebook
"Paradise Flawed"/Dream Books LLC/action-adventure/print & ebook
"Where Are You, Anne Bonny?"/Rogue Phoenix Press/ historical drama/ ebook only
“Trouble”, short story/CrossTIME Science Fiction Anthology, Vol. IX/print only
“Dancing Away”/ short story/romance/Untreed Reads/ebook only
“Phobia”/Booktrope/2012/suspense-thriller/print & ebook
“Helping Hand For Ethan/Rogue Phoenix Press/2012/young adult/ebook only
“Defining Family”/Whiskey Creek Press/2012/young adult/print & ebook
“Annie’s World: Jake’s Legacy”/ATTM Press/ July 2012/soft science fiction/print & ebook
COMING SOON
“The Last Radiant Heart” (re-release)
“Hackberry Corners, Texas 1934”
“Life, Love, and Lubbock”
Search Daniel Lance Wright on Amazon.com
Any sane person would believe that I should be doing more than just thinking about it; right? Yeah, I know you’re right. That’s why I’m currently in the process of psyching up to, once again, make it an appointment activity in my life. It’s sure not because I don’t have the time. I know I need to whip this old body back into shape. It’s just that the whipper isn’t what it used to be.
It’s worth pointing out that I still hold valid fitness trainer certification through the National Endurance and Strength Training Association. I don’t mention this to be boastful; quite the opposite actually. My belly button disappeared months ago. Yep, I just checked where I’m sure it used to be. It’s nowhere to be seen. Now, that glossy eight-by-ten certificate with an official looking gold seal on it just seems ridiculous; oh, the irony of it.
Yesterday, I made the comment that I plan on being eighteen till I die (and, yes, I listen to Bryan Adams version of it often). Interestingly, it’s fairly easy to believe I’m still youthful, vivacious, good looking and can party till the sun comes up ... as long as I’m sitting still in a room with no mirrors.
Realistically, I’m not looking to compete in senior power lifting events or participate in bodybuilding competitions. I just want to be able to get down on my knees and back up to my feet without wishing for a forklift assist. I used to laugh at that “I’ve fallen and can’t get up” commercial. I can’t see the humor in it anymore.
If you haven’t guessed it yet, this blog entry is a message to self that I’ve decided to share. I have lots of life left in me, but if I don’t get up and get moving ... well, I think you can guess the rest of this sentence.
Maybe this is working after all. I do have a spark of excitement about getting an exercise regimen together and hitting it. Oh, to sweat and breathe deeply the satisfaction of putting this old body back into shape. Yes, yes! I’ll do it ... right after my nap.
Author of
"Six Years' Worth"/Father's Press/mainstream/print & ebook
"Paradise Flawed"/Dream Books LLC/action-adventure/print & ebook
"Where Are You, Anne Bonny?"/Rogue Phoenix Press/ historical drama/ ebook only
“Trouble”, short story/CrossTIME Science Fiction Anthology, Vol. IX/print only
“Dancing Away”/ short story/romance/Untreed Reads/ebook only
“Phobia”/Booktrope/2012/suspense-thriller/print & ebook
“Helping Hand For Ethan/Rogue Phoenix Press/2012/young adult/ebook only
“Defining Family”/Whiskey Creek Press/2012/young adult/print & ebook
“Annie’s World: Jake’s Legacy”/ATTM Press/ July 2012/soft science fiction/print & ebook
COMING SOON
“The Last Radiant Heart” (re-release)
“Hackberry Corners, Texas 1934”
“Life, Love, and Lubbock”
Search Daniel Lance Wright on Amazon.com
Saturday, February 4, 2012
I'd Like To Love You
I’m pleased to announce that I’ll have four novels released in 2012, two of which may be near simultaneous: “Phobia”/suspense-thriller/Booktrope Publishing and “Annie’s World: Jake’s Legacy”/Science fiction-fantasy/ATTM Press. I expect both of these to be in print and ebook before the end of March. I would be honored if you’d visit this blog often for updates and buy them when they are released. Later in the year, “Helping Hand For Ethan”/young adult/Rogue Phoenix Press/ebook only will be released. That date is still to-be-announced. And, “Defining Family”/mainstream contemporary drama/Whiskey Creek Press/print and ebook is in the production queue and scheduled for a July release.
As you can tell, my head is back in story-making mode, having finally settled into our new eighty year old house and start-up maintenance and construction projects have begun to demand less brainpower. God knows, I don’t have enough of that to go around (reference my earlier blog on multi-tasking).
Currently, I continue to work on a love story between edits of earlier novels. When I sat down to write this blog entry, my head swirled with degrees of “love” and “like”. That’s when it occurred to me that to define these words might be a good way to start a debate, maybe even a spirited argument. And, when I say “define”, I’m leaving Webster and Funk and Wagnall out of it. This is my take on it.
I’m a guy, a testosterone laden pig by some accounts, having never considered the definitions of these words, much less nuances. Still, I always considered myself a closet romantic. I just felt it necessary to bury those feelings beneath layers of machismo, stupidity and, sometimes, outright cruelty. Interestingly, I always felt bad when I resorted to such things, yet, did it anyhow. Before I dive into this, it seems necessary that you know this about me—not sure why. Okay, here we go:
I don’t believe a person chooses who they love any more than they choose who’ll be their siblings. It’s simply a force of nature. The only requirement is having the good fortune of meeting that person, thing or situation. You can love someone/something yet hate them/it. You can like someone/something yet not love them/it. That makes them two very different words, not degrees of the same thing.
Here, it must be pointed out the difference between “love” and “like”. To like someone is simply an attraction brought on by a number of different variables. It could be shared experiences or, even more simply, an easy feeling of being in another’s company. But to love is to forge a bond that can never, ever be broken. It’s ridiculous to believe that a person can fall out of love. That just means it was never love in the first place, just a combination of lust and like. It’s about as absurd as jumping off a cliff, saying “oops” and then unleaping it. Asinine, right?
It’s pure caca when a couple divorces and insists they still love one another but must go their separate ways. If they can go their separate ways then it was never love. It was “like”. It might be a cliché but true; love is eternal. That means the bond born of it is eternal. The need to be in its presence is uncontrollably magnetic even though the object of love might become detestable; like I said, ‘a force of nature’. No one can walk away from it, in body or spirit. If it’s real, it’s real; if it’s not, it’s not.
The word “love” has been beaten and brutalized and hardly recognizable anymore. It’s not, and should never be pulled out, dusted off and used to achieve mutual orgasm, or any other convenient use of it.
Can “like” become “love”? Of course. Can love be reined in and revert to like? Never. That’s unleaping the cliff.
For all you overtly sensitive types that have spent a lifetime contemplating such things, please accept my apologies for presenting something so elementary. I’m sure you’re rolling your eyes and whispering, “Yeah, so? Duh.”
For me it’s just, “Duh.”
Now that my head’s deeply entrenched in such terms of endearment, I must get busy writing that love story. I think I feel my sensitive side kicking in. I had better not miss it. It’s usually brief.
Author of
"Six Years' Worth"/Father's Press/mainstream/print & ebook
"Paradise Flawed"/Dream Books LLC/action-adventure/print & ebook
"Where Are You, Anne Bonny?"/Rogue Phoenix Press/ historical drama/ ebook only
“Trouble”, short story/CrossTIME Science Fiction Anthology, Vol. IX/print only
“Dancing Away”/ short story/romance/Untreed Reads/ebook only
“Phobia”/Booktrope/2012/suspense-thriller/print & ebook
“Helping Hand For Ethan/Rogue Phoenix Press/2012/young adult/ebook only
“Defining Family”/Whiskey Creek Press/2012/young adult/print & ebook
“Annie’s World: Jake’s Legacy”/ATTM Press/ July 2012/soft science fiction/print & ebook
COMING SOON
“The Last Radiant Heart” (re-release)
“Hackberry Corners, Texas 1934”
“Life, Love, and Lubbock”
Search Daniel Lance Wright on Amazon.com
As you can tell, my head is back in story-making mode, having finally settled into our new eighty year old house and start-up maintenance and construction projects have begun to demand less brainpower. God knows, I don’t have enough of that to go around (reference my earlier blog on multi-tasking).
Currently, I continue to work on a love story between edits of earlier novels. When I sat down to write this blog entry, my head swirled with degrees of “love” and “like”. That’s when it occurred to me that to define these words might be a good way to start a debate, maybe even a spirited argument. And, when I say “define”, I’m leaving Webster and Funk and Wagnall out of it. This is my take on it.
I’m a guy, a testosterone laden pig by some accounts, having never considered the definitions of these words, much less nuances. Still, I always considered myself a closet romantic. I just felt it necessary to bury those feelings beneath layers of machismo, stupidity and, sometimes, outright cruelty. Interestingly, I always felt bad when I resorted to such things, yet, did it anyhow. Before I dive into this, it seems necessary that you know this about me—not sure why. Okay, here we go:
I don’t believe a person chooses who they love any more than they choose who’ll be their siblings. It’s simply a force of nature. The only requirement is having the good fortune of meeting that person, thing or situation. You can love someone/something yet hate them/it. You can like someone/something yet not love them/it. That makes them two very different words, not degrees of the same thing.
Here, it must be pointed out the difference between “love” and “like”. To like someone is simply an attraction brought on by a number of different variables. It could be shared experiences or, even more simply, an easy feeling of being in another’s company. But to love is to forge a bond that can never, ever be broken. It’s ridiculous to believe that a person can fall out of love. That just means it was never love in the first place, just a combination of lust and like. It’s about as absurd as jumping off a cliff, saying “oops” and then unleaping it. Asinine, right?
It’s pure caca when a couple divorces and insists they still love one another but must go their separate ways. If they can go their separate ways then it was never love. It was “like”. It might be a cliché but true; love is eternal. That means the bond born of it is eternal. The need to be in its presence is uncontrollably magnetic even though the object of love might become detestable; like I said, ‘a force of nature’. No one can walk away from it, in body or spirit. If it’s real, it’s real; if it’s not, it’s not.
The word “love” has been beaten and brutalized and hardly recognizable anymore. It’s not, and should never be pulled out, dusted off and used to achieve mutual orgasm, or any other convenient use of it.
Can “like” become “love”? Of course. Can love be reined in and revert to like? Never. That’s unleaping the cliff.
For all you overtly sensitive types that have spent a lifetime contemplating such things, please accept my apologies for presenting something so elementary. I’m sure you’re rolling your eyes and whispering, “Yeah, so? Duh.”
For me it’s just, “Duh.”
Now that my head’s deeply entrenched in such terms of endearment, I must get busy writing that love story. I think I feel my sensitive side kicking in. I had better not miss it. It’s usually brief.
Author of
"Six Years' Worth"/Father's Press/mainstream/print & ebook
"Paradise Flawed"/Dream Books LLC/action-adventure/print & ebook
"Where Are You, Anne Bonny?"/Rogue Phoenix Press/ historical drama/ ebook only
“Trouble”, short story/CrossTIME Science Fiction Anthology, Vol. IX/print only
“Dancing Away”/ short story/romance/Untreed Reads/ebook only
“Phobia”/Booktrope/2012/suspense-thriller/print & ebook
“Helping Hand For Ethan/Rogue Phoenix Press/2012/young adult/ebook only
“Defining Family”/Whiskey Creek Press/2012/young adult/print & ebook
“Annie’s World: Jake’s Legacy”/ATTM Press/ July 2012/soft science fiction/print & ebook
COMING SOON
“The Last Radiant Heart” (re-release)
“Hackberry Corners, Texas 1934”
“Life, Love, and Lubbock”
Search Daniel Lance Wright on Amazon.com
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