It’s Saturday afternoon and luckily I enjoy enough of what I do to be able to work through the weekend. From the past few times I’ve moved, my experiences have taught me that it takes me a little while to transition into a new place. Not only to get my bearings with the unfamiliar environment (knowing which way is north, south–which street leads to the grocery store, which bus will get me to the movie theatre, and what’s the quickest route to the nearest decent bar), but also to feel comfortable with myself in my new locale.
Right now, I’m in the middle of sorting out my routine, getting my ego in check, and finding things to do that are fun where I’m not reliant on other peoples’ company to do so.
Last week, it was the Saturday Market that made me happy. I sat on a street corner and listened to the Kitchen Syncopaters, and relished in the energy of good musicians seemingly unaffected by a desire to expedite their way up the pop charts. Are there many musicians out there still like that, or is it just that way with home grown blues played on a washboard? Anyway, it made me damn happy to just enjoy their music and soak up the moment with the crowd of other smiling marketeers around me.
This weekend’s joy was getting out of the home and office to sit and read submissions for Hold My Purse While I…. I did this at…gasp…Starbucks while I sipped on a Venti Iced Mocha. For years I’ve bashed the Starbucks empire for the way they’ve ruined the lives of so many ma and pa shops. But here in Eugene, I like the scene at the campus Starbucks. I thrive on being among the people, and I have a feeling I’ll be come a regular here. I had a few laughs over the stories, weeded through some of the crap, and plugged away. I have a mountain of work before the manuscript is done, but there’s no reason why work can’t be fun.
I say, do what you like, where you like…and hours later, look back and acknowledge that you’re making progress.
Feel free to drop me a line and tell me where you like to write, read…