I’ve never been good about keeping a journal. It all boils down to consistency. There are days when I skip making an entry. Life can crowd out the time I need to write down my thoughts about a day’s events. I’ve also been reluctant to pose as an expert on the writing process. If I knew anything of value about writing, my work would already be in print. I went out on a skinny limb of a tall in 2022 when I shared my 365 days of thankfulness. The exercise forced me to put myself out there with my soft belly exposed. Thank you for joining me on my journey in the written word. Therefore, I plan to keep a journal in 2023 to document my progress. I will call Entry 24: Life on 4-Way Street.
Note: I consider editing an important part of the writing process. Editing is where all the artistry happens.
My morning writing before I started entry 24: Life on 4-Way Street
I added chapter 10 to Amazing Buchanan and the Beast with the first-person point of view of Chad Wallace. Wallace did have much of a voice in the first version of the story. I allowed him to sort of hang out in the world I created, doing the hard stuff. It made sense to allow him to come up with the plan because he is head of security for Chandler Enterprises. He’s ex-military and has a somewhat jaded view of the world. He likes his job and is loyal to the family. He is a man of action that knows all the family secrets.
I don’t live on a 4-way street. I do reside on a corner of a busy street that gets heavy traffic most days. The neighborhood is the type of place where outsiders lock their doors when they drive through. The multicultural collection of people who live on my street is working-class Americans who mind their own businesses. Not a single thug lives in my neighborhood. The people here range on the spectrum from Hispanic to African American to garden-variety rednecks. We all get along. Most people around here own more than one property because the land is cheap. The biggest thing we have to fear is outsiders. Cops that think we’re all criminally inclined and people who are out to take some of the property around here for pennies on the dollar because we are close to the center of the city where urban development is taking place.
The book I am currently reading entry 24: Life on 4-Way Street
I am still reading Alexander McCall Smith’s The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds. The story is starting to take a few twists and turns. Grace, the babysitter, has resigned, and it has been hinted that the son was responsible for the theft of the painting. These stories by Smith tend to move at a slow pace because Isabel’s mind tends to shift to philosophical ramblings.
What I’m listening to today while entry 24: Life on 4-Way Street
I put Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young’s 4 Way Street. Rooster and I have always thought this collection of songs was the best live record ever recorded. The collection was taken from several live performances. These songs made up the background music of my teen years. I was a big Neil Young fan because I always like the raw aesthetics of a guy with an acoustic guitar playing live on the stage. I heard about David Crosby’s passing last night. Playing this CD seemed appropriate today.
The thing I am most thankful for at this moment.
Rooster thought his cell phone was broken. He could get voicemail or send texts. We were sure he’d have to purchase another one, which we didn’t want to do with how prices are escalating. Every penny counts these days. He went to the cell phone store and discovered it was a user error. I am grateful we didn’t need to buy a new one.
This old lady and entry 24: Life on 4-Way Street
I’m having a hard time riding the thankfulness train after completing the 365-day journey last year. It might be the grey skies we’ve experienced lately, or maybe I simply had to stop and take a breath. I’ve always believed thankfulness was a choice, so I’ve decided to climb back on board again.
Who is Molly Shea?
Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh. To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.
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