(Mis)Perspectives: We MUST Do Better
Playing in the background "Buds" by Miles Davis on a cable network's jazz channel. I'm just happy, unlike WNYC, they're NOT playing anything by Tony Bennett
I've been busy, but divided a bit. Gained a PT gig, then resigned six weeks on when nosy corporate culture superseded individualism. My youngest child is 21 this month. As his mommy bear, my heart was glad when he landed his first solid FT job--and flipped to sad he lost that for "specified" reasons bosses are permitted to give, but won't say when pressed to. Then my cub is 21. God above, why had You made time a brazen swindler?!?
Then social media's been a gigantic pain in the ass with the relentless torrent of Trump hate/Russia collusion/McCain lovefest unlike I've ever experienced. I took my stance on my FB wall, unfriended by two, and am trying not to feel some sort of way for it. We can't agree to disagree agreeably anymore? Then there's the writing community. Can I just be frank for a bit (like I haven't before?): Seriously . . . can somebody tell me whatever the hell happened with just writing the best story you can do, and people being supportive of it, regardless if it makes coin? Or people NOT having the ability to storytell or write, no matter the time and resources put in, won't develop past a certain point salable and move on for those who can? Are you THAT bullheaded? Time's moving on--so should you, dammit!
Maybe I'm being hormonal. Or the heat's got me bitchier than usual. Or I'm sick of the writing grind, despite having my first mystery out--yeah, it's out all right. Damn thing didn't even make a dimple in the waters of this industry, but I suppose my impatience is past frayed. I guess what I'm saying is, and I'm pouring my heart out here: I'm sick of it all. Period. stupidity of humanity, that we're not friggin' BETTER than this! The fighting, the arguing, the routine, the snipping at everybody. People not getting along. People pissy Trump won, people pissy she's not behind bars where she outgha be (I'm one of them). People choosing money over humanitarianism, material over spiritual, bickering over reason. Shit, if the mid 60s were all about make love not war, and letting others live and let live, I sure don't see it. When do I get to experience this? And I'm sick as I can be of the ABSOLUTE CRAP of the writing industry! How indie authors, because they didn't--or were too much of a skinflint to--SWEAR other indies shouldn't pay more than X for this or that product. I'm also sick of other authors using another writing outlet as a way to make a coin. I don't fault them FOR making money; bills, sadly, won't pay for themselves. But for the love of Christ, go into another gig! Don't use the industry--and the steady stream of gullible potential authors in it--to make that rent. How this can happen and they still have their consciences intact, I know I don't know. I don't understand why this bugs me so, but it does. Reckon I didn't follow my late uncle's advice well: "Not everybody, "H," is gonna think like you, so quit expecting them to." I know, okay, I get it, I hear ya, but still . . . ! I'll probably be seen as a pariah for saying the aforementioned and the rest, but hell, SOMEBODY has to! Maybe changes can be made, maybe they can't be, they're so ingrained, but I am just sick of the sheer human indecency I'm witnessing. The pub industry's a microcosm of the culture in general, and I fucking hate it. It takes much to make me cry, and I'm close to tears writing this, so tired of keeping this inside, tired of not sharing this with anyone other than my husband and yelling at my Bluetooth radio, and so tired of somebody, other than me and the Creator, understanding this . . . and nobody else helping to do anything about it. The "reasons"? "I'm scared." "I can't/don't want to be bothered." "What will X, Y, Z, P & Q think of me?" "Then who'll read my books?" "You know, I just don't like you, so I'll ignore you. Maybe you'll feel like we do whenever you post something.." "What if I'm blacklisted? How will I get paid?" "RAAAAAAAAACIST!!!!" (well, that last one made me laugh, and I hope it did you, too.) "You're right, but . . ."
. . . and on, and on, and on and ON! Let's break this down. Apologies in this blog post being longer than the norm, but hey, my blog--my say so. And I unapologetically write lengthy. I pride myself on being thorough. So there. "I'M SCARED"
Sometimes blowhard that I am, I'm scared, too--and yes, I do get scared. But being courageous always take a modicum of fear to push on. I'd regret more not taking a stand on my beliefs and doing what's right when it's right. America wasn't founded on being afraid to fight for their freedom. Those who fight in the late 1700s had to be scared shitless. But they were scared more, and angry more, at being oppressed needlessly, simply because those with more could. So let the fear push you. And find others willing to stand with you. Yu might be wrong, you might be right. But you're taking a stand, and win or lose, you stood up. "I CAN'T/DON'T WANT TO BE BOTHERED"
Hell, neither do I, but here we are. And this country IS how it is because of the multitudes of I DON'T WANT/CAN'T BE BOTHERED weeds all over. Now we've got cultural kudzu. Congratulations. Now wha're you gonna doo about it? Let it keep growing? Or helping solve it? Because if you won't, you're part of the problem you swear you can't be bothered with. "WHAT WILL X, Y, Z, P & Q THINK OF ME?"
That depends. Are you taking a stand for you, or to hold your friends' and loved ones' approval? If they deeply love you and appreciate you for who YOU are as a person and an individual, and as one really a vital part of their lives, they'll support you despite your positions. I'll use myself for an example. Yes, I back Trump. I've followed him since the mid 1980s and loved him more when he'd had his Apprentice franchises, and never once did I have an issue with the man those hating him past reasonable sanity--and the vermin in the media--are saying about him. Do I love EVERYTHING the man does? Absolutely not, and I'm critical of his sometimes reckless tweets and scratching-my-head methods behind his madness. But what he HAS done so far worked, and it's high time a businessman outside of the sludge that's DC took the WH reins for a change. However, in this climate, since the opposing side is hell-bent on shutting down speech not in lockstep with their own, that's what frightens me past the point I can't stay quiet anymore--and nor should you, if you've read this far. Groupthink, herd mentality, lockstep solidarity, whichever denim you design those jeans in, is dangerous, kids. It can grow riotous. Riots = injuries and unintentionally dead people in them. Have you ever tried to turn back a mob? Have you seen the footage of kids in late 1930s Germany openly burning books because they were frightened they held viewpoints not in tune with their own? Imagine if an editor or a house told you, Mr. or Ms. Author, you ONLY could write for this house anything in the future in 3rd female POV, never write anything else apart from this, or deviate from this? Do you really care what X, Y, Z, P & Q think of you now? "THEN WHO'LL READ MY BOOKS/PROJECTS?"
Those who find your work talented, compelling, provocative, perspective-changing, and imaginative enough, will. Find the right audience. And whichever your POV on cultural issues, here's two bits' worth of free advice: When you're doing a signing, a reading, selling your wares as it were and if somebody wishes to engage you with anti- or pro-Trump rhetoric, decline politely and say appreciate your sharing, but we're not here for that at this event, thank you. That's what I intend to do. Works like a dilly every time it's tried. **Sidenote: Now can somebody forward this blogpost segment to a certain horror writer with the initials S.K. to quit flapping his yap about how much he abhors Trump, please? It's old, bruh! Hold your views, but mind Gene Autry's words, too: "Don't bite the hand that feeds ya." Or, as my mama used to say, "Don't shit where you eat." Pro-Trump folks' money paid S.K.'s bills in royalties via their purchasing his books, too, yet I don't see Mr. Generosity giving back their dough if he hates the POTUS and his fan base that much, do I? He won't, either. But that's another topic on the hypocrisy of the elitist, let-them-eat-cake leftist snobs--and those on the right who love them--for another day.**
Somebody'll buy my Casebooks and Threesome of Magic Mysteries. They'll be the right somebodies, too. But if you don't believe this, then don't take your stance on issues you believe in, and keep them as separate as you can humanly do. I can't, so I won't--and I'll know when to share and when not to. It's called trusting my instincts, which, sadly, many don't do much of anymore and abdicate that thinking to computers and in others' POV. Trusting instincts and speaking up when it went against the norm worked for the late #NatHentoff. I trust it'll do the same for me. "YOU KNOW, I JUST DON'T LIKE YOU."
Okay. Line's over there to your left if you want to chat it up with several miles' long of people feeling as bitter and pea-hennish as you do--you'll be in fine company. Take it in stride--even God isn't liked by everybody. That means I'm in fine company, too. :)
"WHAT IF I'M BLACKLISTED/HOW WILL I GET PAID?" Well, then . . . find another way around the obstacle. Or take on another vocation tugging at your heart. Whichever happens, your beliefs are important enough to risk that, or they're not. It's really as simple as that. "RAAAAAAAAAACIST!!!!"
That's the go-to when the opposition hasn't a cogent rebuttal, a substantive, reasonable, argument, or an almost airtight solution to their baseless, whole-cloth-from-ashes good-on-paper theories with disastrous results yet. My second favorite response, recently told to me by my sole living maternal uncle, "I'm too busy praying for you to have your blinding veil removed to give back a decent rebuttal." Let both make you laugh. Not in their intentional ignorance from the one(s) saying such things, but in the Nerf arrows those once-strong responses have since become from sheer and misplaced overuse.
"I KNOW YOU'RE RIGHT, BUT . . ."
There's no BUT about it. You'll do this or you won't. You'll take a stand or won't. You'll lose weight or won't. Whatever the task or endeavor, if's it's important enough, it'll get done, a way found, a solution worked on. Period. And I'll let a great character, Yoda, close out this post: "Do or do not. There is no try."
As always, I thank you for reading. Please visit my Amazon Author page and download your copy of JERSEY DOGS, and leave a nice, sweet or decent review when you've a chance. Don't have a Kindle? Casebook #1 is available at BN.com, 24symbols.com, Scribd, iTunes, and wherever other fine ebooks are sold.
Love ya! Mean it . . . always! ~ Missye