Show Me Everything and Tell Me How

I’ve been away from blogging for a while - a month to be precise - and I apologize profusely. However, I’ve been doing what I call percolating; processing what I’ve learned so I can turn it into a blog. So in reality I have been blogging. Just not posting.

Semantics aside, a lot has happened as of late. I grew my following and followers on Twitter to more than 2,000, finding and accepting people one tweet at a time. It’s been a very exciting and rewarding process. I’d go so far as to call it an adventure. I call it that because I have very eclectic taste. My followers/following run the gamut from cooks and chefs to authors, writers, editors and agents; Navy SEALs and other military men; musicians, business consultants, physicians, philosophers, restaurateurs and poets as well as those who tweet anonymously under an alias with a provocative name and even some with whom I tweet in Spanish.

Most recently, the latter two groups have taken up most of my time, I happily admit. Because with these people I have found amusement, excitement, sincerity, depth and, even dare I say out loud, a friendship or at the very least a kinship that I have come to cherish.

In my virtual world, I have in-depth conversations about very real issues with people who essentially are strangers yet willingly open themselves up to me to share real feelings. I am fascinated by this exchange because of its depth and simplicity. I’ve always said the Internet is both intimate and impersonal simultaneously and because of that, the ability to reach out and connect albeit anonymously is a huge draw.

But I don’t do anonymous. As my mother used to laughingly say “I am me.” I don’t know how to be anyone else. Nor do I want to. I’m fine with me, faults and all. And because I feel this way about me, I don’t want other people to be anything other than who they are. It’s probably why I follow people named loveboobs and lickme as well those who legitimately are who they say they are. I love learning about people. Who they are and what makes them tick. And through that process I become more human and discover more about me.

So far, it’s been purely a joyous experience and I don’t imagine that will change. Removing real world obstacles, such as looks and labels, has been very liberating. One of my friends with a VERY provocative name is really funny. Had I not been amused with his boldness to put that name out there, I’d never have known that and laughed with him. Had I not been curious about the guy behind the dark shades and cowboy hat with the ranting post, I’d never have met the profoundly deep and sensitive guy I talk to nearly every day. Had I not been openly sharing stuff about my crazy life and thrown in a little Spanish I would never have met the beautifully romantic soul I now follow in his language. Had I not been curious about guy asking me provocative questions, I'd never have met the man who I believe holds the key to my success in the future.

So all this brings me full circle to the title of this blog. “Show me everything and tell me how” are lyrics in the song “Strangers Like Me” by Phil Collins in the Disney Movie “Tarzan.” Lately these words have resonated with me because I do not only want to have these friends virtually. They are not imaginary friends that I’ve created. My books serve that function. They are real people and I thoroughly enjoy their company. I would love nothing more than to be face to face; one on one. Let’s get lunch or dinner. Enjoy a few happy hours. Come to my home. Hang out and be part of my life. Why? Because I want to know more. “Show me everything and tell me how.” I’m open. Ready and waiting.

And I mean what I say. We will meet. It's just a matter of time.

"Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work." -- Mark Twain

Thank You My Friends

Years ago I read this saying: “What is the question for which my life is the answer.” I believe it’s translated from Hebrew and has its founding in Hassidism, but I could be wrong. I wasn’t able to confirm that and only did a quick search. What’s important is that this question has stayed with me over time and I refer back to it every time I find myself at a crossroads.

Not surprisingly, this happened today. Yesterday, I got word from the literary agent I want to represent me that she is reading my book and having another agent in her office read it as well for a second opinion. I took this as good news. I also informed her that now may be the ideal time to market my book given a host of serendipitous circumstances. She thought that was great news. As you may or may not know, the publishing industry is in a state of flux. It’s shrinking and changing given the advances of technology and the shift away from physical paper books. So a new writer, trying to publish a book through a major house is pretty much the needle in the haystack scenario. Very difficult. Rarely happens. So as you can imagine, this tiny shred of good news filled me with immense joy. Crying joy. Begging and pleading with God joy to please allow this to happen. Allow my book to be published.

Then as I signed online, today, my daily quote was as follows. “When you discover your mission, you will feel its demand. It will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it.” -- W. Clement Stone

What is the question for which my life is the answer? I think this is it. I do wake up every day with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on my books, making new friends and checking in with old friends. The journey I began last August with A SEAL in Uniform and continue with SEAL Master and Navy SEALs: Catch One continues to fill me excitement and determination. And because I began this journey from a place of passion with the mind set to enhance my life, I believe it to be genuine and correct.

And now I am here. Writing romance, talking about love, excitement and sex. Juicy sex actually that I have to tone down in fact, but it has given me a place from where to launch and a place to connect because after all we’re all human. We all want the same things. To love and be loved. To be sated and satisfied. To mean something. To matter.

And now I do. And you do too. In less than the past year, I have signed on to Facebook, Twitter and Blogger. I took on the name reddywriting, the very first email address I ever had, as my brand and announced to the world that I can be found @reddywriting.com, @reddywriting/Twitter, @aol, @gmail and @yahoo, though the latter I rarely use. And now I have new friends. Most of them virtual though no less real. I reconnected with old friends on Facebook, made new friends on Twitter, and share my thoughts via this blog as regularly as time permits. I chat, instant message and text. Being online has become a necessity and my phone nearly a permanent appendage to my body. But most importantly through this process I have become more human and a better me because of it.

The point of this rambling is to say thank you. Thank you to everyone I have met in the past year. Each of you brings a new dimension to my life and I am very grateful for that. I welcome you to share your lives with me as well whenever the mood strikes or you wonder “what is the question for which my life is the answer? “

Three Things In Life

Three things in life that, once gone, never come back:
1. Time
2. Words
3. Opportunity

Three things in life that can destroy a person:
1. Anger
2. Pride
3. Inability to forgive

Three things in life that you should never lose:
1. Hope
2. Peace
3. Honesty

Three things in life that are most valuable:
1. Love
2. Family & Friends
3. Kindness

Three things in life that are never certain:
1. Fortune
2. Success
3. Dreams

Three things that make a person:
1. Commitment
2. Honesty
3. Hard work

My First Twine-Up

I've been into Twitter big time for about six months now. So much so I have heard complaints that maybe I spend too much time there. I defend myself by offering that others watch hours of mindless TV and at least I'm interacting with people, but it seems the jury is still out on whether or not I could be more productive with my time. Regardless, I've learned a lot about interpersonal communication and netiquette or the lack there of. And on Twitter I really have met a very interesting and ecclectic cross section of people around the country and even the world. Meeting new people and making new friends are areas in my life that I had cordoned off for some reason and decidedly missed. I vowed for 2009 to change that and here, finally, is proof.

I attended my first Twitter event. It was a wine tasting hosted by Matt Horbund @mmwine at a fabulous restaurant called Himmarshee on Las Olas in Fort Lauderdale. Pictured are my husband Alan, me aka @reddywriting on Twitter and my friends Freda and Carol. I c0nnected with a dozen people I speak with regularly and had a really fun time. I look forward to the next one and count myself very fortunate to have made new friends live and in the flesh despite the fact that we began virtually.

The Thrill of Accomplishment

I love meeting deadlines - It forces me to focus and make touch decisions. I totally get the sex high soldiers get after battle.

"There are no mistakes. The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn; whatever steps we take, they're necessary to reach the places we've chosen to go." -- Richard Bach