Book Updates

With Dallas county stay-at-home order, I have set a goal to complete the manuscript for 1300 Miles to Barstow by April 3, 2020.

My son and I have slipped into our summer schedule while he waits for school to resume online. Today is the first full day of sun and clear skies after eleven consecutive days of rain. I long to be outside…yet work demands that I stay inside these four walls.

Below is a working draft of the introduction for the book. I am in the process of revising the purpose of the book. Digesting the past couple of weeks has made me painfully aware that I still place writing behind less important activities.

Yesterday, I promised myself, that never again will I place writing last on my to-do list or I will get to it list. After multiple nights of dreams in which I tell people – I want to write! The message is clear. I write first.

1300 Miles to Barstow – Tentative Intro Draft – Subject to Change – 2020 Copyright

Six months ago, when I started writing this book my thoughts and focus were more on travel and our recent road trip to California.  Now, our world and economy dangle in a delicate balance.

Normal disappeared, vaporized. 

With a stay at home order, time is plentiful freeing my otherwise packed schedule with open hours to write.  2020 started with an attitude to never be forgotten or mistaken for any previous year or future years.  Within the first 86 days, 2020 turned our world upside down and inside out. So far 2020 has tripped through every part of our lives from canceled proms and graduations, concerts and movie releases. These cancelations are the tip of the destruction.   

Our days feel like living in a human size snow globe without the pretty wintery display. We can look out of the globe, but we can’t go anywhere.  I am thankful for the trip we took last August which was the inspiration for this book.

Now, writing is a luxury. Each night, I savior these quiet evenings, tucked in my office away from the rest of the world while my son plays video games.  As my iTunes playlist circulates tunes of encouragement I mentally regroup.  Staring at my computer, I recall stressful events in January and February. These events are nonexistent in my mind. Our daily activities are singular in action to stay six feet away from other humans.