by James L. Rubart, @jameslrubart
When I went to the University of Washington my girlfriend at the time told me a joke I’ve never forgotten. Why? Because it offers a sobering truth about you and me.
It goes like this:
A man was finding his way to his seat during a Seattle Seahawks game when, way up in the stands, he hears someone shout, “Hey, Harry!”
The man peers into the crowd above him but can’t make out exactly where the voice came from.
A few seconds later he heard the shout again, a bit louder this time. “HEY, HARRY!”
Again, the man peers into the crowd. He knows the general direction where voice is coming from, but can’t see the person it belongs to.
Then it happens a third time, the voice even louder. “HEYYYY, HAARRRRRRY!!!!”
That’s it. The man can’t take it any longer. He grits his teeth, then turns and shouts at the top of his lungs in the vicinity where the voice came from.
“YOU MORNON! MY NAME’S NOT HARRY!”
Yeah, not the funniest joke, but it reveals a truth. A truth we all need to embrace, but maybe more so for those of us who are taking serious forays into the world of writing.
It’s Not All About Us
During the early part of my career, I didn’t get that.
I was so focused on my world, I neglected the world of others close to me.
I was so focused on my journey I missed the chance to come alongside friends who were struggling.
I was so focused on own my path I wasn’t able to understand why everyone didn’t pay strict attention to all of my highs and lows.
You want life? Let it go.
Release the idea of it needing to be about you all the time. Because if you hold on, you’ll lose it. But if you let go, you’ll find your life in greater measure than you’ve imagined.
How Do You Stand Up for Yourself When It Means Losing Everything? Allison Moore is making it. Barely. The Seattle architecture firm she started with her best friend is struggling, but at least they’re free from the games played by the corporate world. She’s gotten over her divorce. And while her dad’s recent passing is tough, their relationship had never been easy. Then the bomb drops. Her dad was living a secret life and left her mom in massive debt. As Allison scrambles to help her mom find a way out, she’s given a journal, anonymously, during a visit to her favorite coffee shop. The pressure to rescue her mom mounts, and Allison pours her fears and heartache into the journal. But then the unexplainable happens. The words in the journal, her words, begin to disappear. And new ones fill the empty spaces—words that force her to look at everything she knows about herself in a new light. Ignoring those words could cost her everything . . . but so could embracing them.
James L. Rubart is 28 years old, but lives trapped inside an older man’s body. He thinks he’s still young enough to water ski like a madman and dirt bike with his two grown sons. He’s the best-selling, Christy BOOK of the YEAR, CAROL, INSPY, and RT Book Reviews award winning author of ten novels and loves to send readers on journeys they’ll remember months after they finish one of his stories. He’s also a branding expert, audiobook narrator, co-host of the Novel Marketing podcast, and co-founder with his son, Taylor, of the Rubart Writing Academy. He lives with his amazing wife on a small lake in Washington state.