Tag Archives: inspiration

An Evening With Sean Of The South

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One of my favorite contemporary writers is a southerner named Sean Dietrich. He also uses the moniker Sean of the South for his blog and a one man show he performs all over the United States. He uses music and humor to make folks feel good. 

But he’s more than a southerner and more than a writer or a musician. He’s a storyteller whose message and everyman themes stretch across geography, generations, denominations and all the other imaginary lines we humans like to draw around ourselves. 

My gateway into his work was this video where he talks about a kind librarian and the difference she made in his life. Go watch it and come back. I’ll wait. It is lovely, heartfelt and worth your time.

Because of this video I discovered his daily essays and podcasts before finally reading one of his books and then another and another. I have not read everything he’s written but I’m working on it because his writing inevitably makes me feel better about the world. 

Searn writes about people who are kind or who are doing something good in this world. He writes about his dog Thelma Lou and about how church ladies run the show. He writes about his own origin story which he justifiably still wrestles to understand. 

He writes stories that prove there are still good people in this world. What he doesn’t write about is politics, religion or anything else that might divide us. His writing is a study in seeking out the good, looking out for one another, and in creating the family you need or, maybe, that needs us. 

He’s a modern day Mark Twain and is said to be the south’s answer to Garrison Keillor. He’s a man of profound words and many talents with a sense of humor that ranges from smartly witty to canned corn. And for someone who regularly stands in the circle of a spotlight, he seems a humble man too. 

My fella and I built a long weekend of books and fun around seeing the Sean of the South stage show in Cincinnati earlier this month. I’m a fan of the advice to never meet your heroes because too often we find that talented humans are still just human. They’re never as good as we hope. 

I’m thrilled to say that Sean Dietrich was exactly what I thought he would be and more.

Sean performed in Ohio for the first time as what must have been a sold out audience welcomed him to the 20th Century Theater. His wife Jaime meets and greets folks at the merchandise table where you can buy books, shirts, and music cds. 

His stage show is a fun medley of storytelling and music. He tells jokes and funny stories using music sometimes as vehicles for the stories and sometimes like props. It’s a high energy show with few lulls and no time to get bored. Sure, there were some men in the audience who clearly were there because their wives demanded it but the rest of us were thrilled to spend a couple of hours with his wit and melodies. 

When it was over, Sean Dietrich stood by the front door and greeted every person in line. He signed books, hugged people, posed for pictures and talked with folks. We had second row seats so we were near the end of the line and waited about an hour to have our turn. Friends, there are few people on this planet I would stand in that kind of line to meet but I was so grateful for the opportunity. We accepted hugs even though I’m not a hugger but it’s sort of a when in Rome moment. He signed my books. Best of all, he answered my question about writing in a way that was so gracious and kind I was actually surprised at how much thought he put into it. 

I thanked him for his daily essays, a bright spot on social media which feels more like a cesspool sometimes than a place to find inspiration and light. I told him to be careful going home and he told us to watch out for deer. We rural folks like to remind everyone of the ever lurking dangers of deer in the road. 

It was like chatting with an old friend. 

In fact, everything he puts out in the world feels like a chat with an old friend and that’s something we badly need these days. We need someone in our life who will remind us there’s still good in this world despite what the algorithm shows us. We need talent and creativity and someone to inspire us to be kind to a stranger, to share a funny story or to flex our creative muscle even if it’s just for ourselves. 

By the way, his father committed suicide when he was only eleven years old. While this horrific event helped to shape him into the person he is today, it didn’t break him and I don’t believe it defines him either. If a child can survive something so terrible, it seems like the rest of us will be ok too. 

Read his books. Follow him on Facebook for daily essays. Listen to the podcast. Go see the show. You won’t be disappointed. Get started at his website.

Head Down

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This week has been busy and starting to feel long enough that I’m not even sure what day it is. Don’t worry, I’ll figure it out but it is a little disconcerting.

I hiked on Saturday and found myself and my bum leg on a rather steep stretch of hill. While better than a month ago, the knee and shin don’t always work together well so that hill was challenging. Rather than worry about it, I just put my head down and kept my eyes on the ground so the sheer steepness and difficulty wouldn’t intimidate me too much.

I made it up with no trouble and was quite proud of this small victory.

This has more or less been my approach to this week. I have mostly been away from home. When I do go home, I feed the cat and go to bed. Work has been busy. I look forward to the quieter days ahead when I can sit at a desk and dig into my to-do pile.

Meanwhile, I’m keeping my head down while I push up the hill.

The bright side is that many hours in the car have given me podcast listening time. The bad news is that creative projects aren’t going so well. It’s hard to feel inspired when you’re in constant motion and tired.

It seems the theme lately has been “I just have to get through THIS and things will be better.” Yet, I get through “THIS” and there’s always something else to distract and slow me down.

Does this sound familiar to you? Can you relate to the sentiment that if it’s not one thing it’s something else?

I’m certain I’m in good company here.

This brings me back to something I wrote earlier this year that encourages us to just do whatever it is we need or want to do because time waits for no one. You can read it here. I actually wrote that story for me because it was something I needed to read at the time.

Evidently, I still need the pep talk because it’s as relevant today as it was last month.

In one of the podcasts I listened to today, I heard an author say that she was having trouble writing and set a goal for herself to write one word a day. Just one. Some days, she literally wrote one word or two. Some days she wrote a thousand words. But in the days she couldn’t muster much, at least she was still doing something.

I liked this.

We tend to believe that we have to do the big jobs for it to count. If you never start a big project because you think there’s no time, that’s not nearly as effective as setting ten small goals and actually chipping away at them.

Remember, even when the hills are steep and especially when the hills are steep, it’s a good idea to keep your head down and focus on one foot in front of the other.

Now excuse me while I go figure out what day it is!

PS- Before you ask, the featured picture is from the hike but not of the hill. It never occurred to me to document that segment of the trail!

All The Good Things

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Utility workers cut the internet line on my road this week. For someone who was trying to work from home for a few days, this was problematic. My home office is quieter and designed by me to suit my own introverted needs for productivity. Plus, seemingly endless rain for a few days in a row caused flash flooding throughout the county, leaving me stranded high on my ridge top for a while.

I needed internet.

Luckily, the placement of a Verizon cell phone tower just down the road means I have great cell service so I was able to use my phone as a hot spot.

We make do.

Unfortunately, talking to the internet company’s customer service felt like communicating with a brick wall. The website claimed there was no outage in the neighborhood. Could they send a technician to my house sometime next week?

Sure. I guess. I’ll be happy to point them to the cut cable down the road, I said.

At which point, the lady reminded me that I may incur a service fee if they get here and find out the issue is on my end.

Well, I don’t think that’s a possibility given that the line is cut. Down. The. Road, I said.

And so on and on went the conversation. By the end, my patience was hanging by a thread but I refuse to be mean, rude or testy with any brave soul who works in customer service.

That person was doing her best within the confines of her training and whatever script she is supposed to follow to get me what I needed. The conversation ended in the standard way with her asking if there was anything else she could help with. Then she said this:

Please do me a favor and always put a smile on your face. May all the good things in life be yours.

What a lovely way to wish someone well and conclude a conversation.

It was a challenging day but the sentiment behind this statement and the fact she would say it kind of made my day in the most unexpected ways.

So, my friends, may all the good things in life be yours.

Have a great day, friends.

PS- A nice technician came yesterday and repaired the line! The neighborhood is up and running again!

No Spend Challenge Update

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Even after all these years of doing an annual No Spend Challenge, I have to occasionally remind myself why I do what I do. It requires checking in with my habits and employing my 2024 word of the year. In other words, I REJUVINATE the why and the commitment behind my temporary no spending habits. 

If you’re not familiar with my No Spend Challenge, you can click here to read a recent story and here’s the story about my word of the year.

The fact something is important to us doesn’t mean we can take our commitment for granted. We all sometimes need a boost to keep us on the right path. So far, this month has gone pretty well. 

  • All bills are paid.
  • Groceries have been purchased.
  • Things that are important to me are taken care of.
  • No shopping for entertainment.
  • Eating out has been avoided as much as possible.

In case you’re struggling with your challenge and think I’m bragging about being perfect, let’s take a deep dive into what I’m saying here. 

  • Groceries – I keep my pantry and freezer stocked well enough that I never have to go to the store. This week, I needed specific ingredients for a special meal and I stopped at the store to grab a few needs that were accompanied by some frozen food deals outside my regular grocery shopping.  I didn’t need them right now but stashing them away for cheap now means I don’t have to buy them for full price later. Why is that important? Those dollars saved will mean gas in the tank for a daytrip this summer!
  • Things that are important are taken care of – This is vague, isn’t it? When I went to pick up a rental car last week because mine lost the contest against the deer, they required a cash deposit. This was a need and it was important. I’m gathering items to donate to a thrift store with a cause I support and plan to give them some cash while I’m there. This isn’t necessary but it’s important to me. 
  • Entertainment shopping – This one is the hardest for me because I truly enjoy shopping even when I’m not buying. Antique malls, thrift shops and TJ Maxx all call my name. I don’t think I’ve bought a single thing in a store other than groceries since late December with one exception. I was in downtown Chillicothe Friday night. I long ago made a pact with myself that anytime I’m close to Wheatberry Books I will stop and make a purchase. Even if it’s small, I want to support having a bookseller nearby. This probably aligns more closely with taking care of important things. I gave myself a budget for one book but panicked when I got inside and bought two. Imperfect but that’s ok. Supporting a small business I like is important to me.
  • Eating out – This one is tricky. Technically, I have paid for one fast food meal. That was the day I picked up the rental car at lunch and really didn’t want to wait to eat at home. Nine bucks on a fish sandwich, fries and drink. However, I have actually eaten in restaurants two other times when other people were buying. One was a work lunch and it was a fluke that I didn’t have to pay. Also, I went into this challenge planning to buy a meal out with a friend. However, my handsome fella went with me to meet my friend and insisted on buying. He’s such a gentleman. Otherwise, my tally would ordinarily be much higher. Also, I bought a bottle of water one day because my water bottle was in my banged up car. 

There are things not reflected in the bottom line. For example, I spent a lot of Sunday fighting off the temptation to go antiquing because I was just “in the mood” to go see what was out there. So I spent a lot of that day cleaning in my craft room. This is the place where all my extra home decor, craft supplies and every other random thing gets shuffled around like deck chairs on the Titanic. Truly, the room is awful and is tangible, undeniable proof of bad decisions made over the years. Nothing makes you want to not shop like facing a pile of stuff you have bought. 

I gathered up about 80 things from this room to give away. There’s a large stack of boxes to recycle and a bag of trash to go out. This went a long way toward scratching that itch to treasure hunt outside my home. 

The point of all this is to say that, even after all these years, I still need gentle reminders that I do this challenge for a reason and that the reason is controlling bad habits and cultivating better ones that will serve me. It seems I would have learned the lesson after all these years of repetition. You know something? That’s ok. I am only human after all and sometimes humans need reminding that what’s easy or what we want right now may not be the thing we need or want for the long distance.

A little rejuvenation goes a long way!

Who’s doing a No Spend Challenge? Comment and tell me all about it!

Hitting The Reset Button

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Me with author William Kent Krueger.

This blog has been quiet while I have wrestled with whether I want to continue writing at all. When I started writing here in 2018, it was a place to tell stories about my travels for friends and family to enjoy.

Since then it has evolved into a daily creative and accountability exercise. Lots of strangers have found their way here and become new friends. I hold myself accountable to show up every day and write something or to at least match a quote with an original picture of interest.

I took a break, thinking it would last for three days, but the respite has stretched into weeks. The more distance I put between me and writing, the less I missed it. I also journaled less and spent absolutely no time thinking about other types of writing besides what I do for work.

My brain felt tired and I was lacking in motivation.

Then something special happened. I received some encouragement from an author I admire. William Kent Krueger spoke Saturday at the West Virginia Book Festival. If you aren’t familiar, he is a New York Times bestseller and popular mystery writer. Known for his Cork O’Connor mystery series, as well as three fabulous stand alone books, he earned a spot in my heart with This Tender Land. If you haven’t read it, you should.

On Saturday, he talked about how he became a writer, crediting his parents for reading to him as a child and encouraging him to understand that there are no limits when it comes to storytelling.

He talked about his career, his failures and second chances. He wanted to write the great American novel but couldn’t find his voice so he just stopped writing.

He didn’t write a thing for years.

Then one day, he woke up in middle age and decided that he was going to write again. This time it wouldn’t be a botched great American novel. It would be something people would actually want to read. He got a laugh at that comment! So he did something unexpected. He embraced the Mystery genre even though he had never read a mystery before in his life.

After a grueling period of daily writing and stretching to find his voice, Cork O’Connor was born. This character would elevate the writer Kent Krueger to the New York Times Bestselling Author William Kent Krueger, making him a household name for readers far beyond his chosen genre.

I’m sad to say that I didn’t discover his work until he published This Tender Land a few years ago. This stand alone book captivated my imagination and won a spot on my bookshelf as an all time favorite.

This is what brought me to the room where Kent (he asked us to call him Kent!) told his own story.

He spoke about writing with a sense of profound joy, inspiring me to go home and write something of my own.

He seems like a common guy, reminding me of some librarian friends and a little of a favorite college English professor. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to sit in a writing class with him!

It ended all too quickly but he did sign books afterward and you can believe I took my two favorites to be personalized. I used my time in front of him wisely and acted like a fan girl as he signed my books. I let him know how much I love his writing and that he made me want to go home and write. That caught his attention and he asked some questions and offered encouragement.

He encouraged me to not let my writing projects at work sour me or get in the way of writing for myself. He advised writing every day and working to find my voice. When he worked a regular job, Kent said he got up early every day to write for an hour before work.

This advice makes sense to me because it would give a writer an opportunity to use their authentic voice before venturing out into a noisy world that insists on crushing our individuality.

I walked away knowing that I wanted to accept his advice.

My first act is to try reviving this blog because I need the accountability exercise. The next step is to dust off my journal because journaling is akin to a daily tidying routine for my mind.

The fiction piece is harder. I have a writing project in mind and it’s manageable. There’s another writing project that is less manageable. While we were out book browsing after the festival, I procured a book of writing prompts to help establish what I hope will be a morning writing exercise habit. I’m not a morning person so this may get shifted to another time of day to humor my morning failings.

I can at least try.

Something else I need to work on is my inability to call myself a writer. When one of my favorite writers took an interest in me and asked if I’m a writer too, I honestly didn’t know what to say. So I stammered out some nonsense about how I write but am not really a writer. In my mind, I just scribble and have never written anything that really mattered.

Yet, my professional resume includes writer/editor positions and two other jobs where writing has been a central responsibility. Personally, I practice writing here, drop thoughts in a journal and occasionally work on a short story.

I shared this with someone important to me the other day. He aptly responded “that means you’re a writer.”

And so it goes.

Will I ever be a writer like Kent Krueger? Not a chance. The man is brilliant. However, I will enjoy the journey as I work to improve myself. In this results oriented world, we forget sometimes that there’s merit in simply bettering ourselves – even when no one less is looking.

Meanwhile, I’ll see you back here tomorrow morning.

Without Rain

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“Without rain, nothing grows. Learn to embrace the storms of your life.” – Unknown

I snapped this picture between rain showers at my parents’ house last night. It has rained a lot this week so everything is growing nicely – including the weeds and the grass which I consider a glorified weed. The American obsession with grass is beyond my comprehension but I digress.

The point is that things are becoming pretty.

And, as for us humans, the quote is true for us as well. Every day can’t be easy and fun. Into every life comes an occasional storm must come. We’ll come out stronger and better for it.

We made it to a Friday, friends. Let’s just get through it.