Everybody ought to try something new and challenging occasionally. Especially writers. While it’s not likely I’d ever give skydiving a try unless somebody peeled my fingers off the airplane door and shoved me out, I am willing to try something new now and again. So Friday was one of those now and again days. This lovely bunch of ladies and a few others that my camera didn’t capture asked me to give them a talk about writing Shaker books as they rode to a luncheon outing at the Shaker Village here in our area. They were part of a legal secretary group who were meeting in Georgetown.
~~
So I drove to Georgetown, found their hotel just as they were loading up the bus. Good thing I left a little early. I mean who would have thought a big hotel could hide. But this one did. But not good enough. I did find it. And got to meet a whole bus load of new friends. Of course then I had the challenge of turning into tour guide Ann. The organizer, Joe Ann, said I could sit down and talk, but how can you talk to a bunch of people without looking at them? I couldn’t. At least I had to try to stand up and be a bonafide tour guide.
~~
It worked pretty good on the interstate. I didn’t get motion sickness the way I had been afraid I might. My only problem was with my back to the road I couldn’t tell when the bus driver was going to step on the brakes. A sudden stop can put a lot of emphasis on whatever you’re saying. Trust me on that one. So I told the ladies to point and give me a heads up if something was about to happen. Believe it or not, we weren’t far in the drive and I was talking away when one of the women gave a little gasp and pointed. A cow was walking along the opposite side of the interstate. The even funnier part is that it was when I was talking about how the Shakers improved the quality of the cattle in Kentucky by importing a breeding bull from England. I guess the good Lord was helping to illustrate my talk.
~~
So being tour guide Ann wasn’t so bad. I got to meet a bus full of women having a good time out with friends. I got to talk about writing and eat a delicious lunch at the Shaker village. But that wasn’t the only new thing I did this week. I spoke to the neighboring county’s historical club the night before I was tour guide Ann. If I let myself think about it that was almost as challenging. These people love history and most of them probably knew way more history than me. I told them I always expect somebody to check my credentials at the door and then tell me that they are so sorry but there has been a terrible mistake. No way could anybody want me to speak. I’m just an old country girl who likes to tell stories. Well, write down stories. But amazingly enough, some people like to hear me talk about writing those stories and they laugh in the right places and carry home my books with them. Will wonders never cease.
~~
Oh yeah, and about that skydiving. I read this quote once and I don’t have it in front of me so I don’t know who said it, but it went something like this. “If at first you don’t succeed…, don’t try skydiving.”
~~
Thanks for dropping by. Why don’t you tell me some new thing you may have surprised yourself by doing?