Well what can I say? I’m absolutely over the moon that my Ravens won Super Bowl LXVII – and I have to admit it, my nerves were in tatters, my heart threatening to stop, as those last few minutes ticked by and the 49ers came so close to snatching the Lombardi Trophy away at the last moment! I’d like to pay tribute to one of the greatest Super Bowl’s I’ve seen, something that’s only possible when both teams give everything they have, highs and lows, ups and downs. Congratulations Baltimore and San Francisco for giving us such a memorable game.
There was a point in the game when I had a thought cross my mind. As half the stadium lost all power and the lights went out, I thought that it was so like Life! Nothing ever runs smoothly to the point of perfection. There are always hiccups and embarrassments, annoyances and frustrations. As a cricket fan, I could weather the delay with ease. After all, in cricket, you can wait hours to discover whether play will continue or not. And it’s so like how my days progress, or not. I start out most days checking Twitter, Facebook and various other social networks and groups, responding where I’m moved to do so. While I’m doing this, I’m hoping that something will trigger my writing. Sometimes I’m lucky and I get the inspiration. When that happens, it’s a full tilt rush of words… until that fatal interruption! The ‘phone rings, or some other event intrudes, and I halt. If I’m lucky, I get to resume the writing after a short delay. But, there’s that danger of a total fail. That moment when I return to the screen of text I’ve created and… nothing! Total blank! I can’t even find the fuse box to rectify the problem. My brain has suffered a power outage to critical areas and left me in the dark.
My computer has several files, each one a beginning. Some even have middles. But not one is complete. Time and again, I revisit these fragments, in hope. Time and again, I close the files with a weary sigh. Someday, I hope, they’ll find their lost parts. I know only one thing: if I delete any of them, then at some time I’ll regret it, as the rest of the tale emerges from the darkness. Be sure that it’s never safe to delete anything!
Today, 4th February, isn’t just the day after Super Bowl. It’s also Jenny’s birthday! Better, as she’s now also addicted to the NFL and watches Super Bowls with me, she takes holiday from work the week after. It’s definitely necessary, as Super Bowls are screened very late, here in England. If she had to work the next day, it would be murder. We’re both at that time of life when events such as birthdays are (normally) very quiet affairs. Our kids are grown up, scattered, with families of their own. Jenny’s friend came round last night, bringing a card and gift for Jenny, which I knew was going to happen but kept from Jenny, so it was a nice surprise for her. When the clock ticked past midnight, I wished her a “Happy Birthday” and gave her a card and gift I’d put together, which seemed to make her happy. The card, I constructed from a beautiful fantasy image I found online, adding my own words. It’s been a tradition since Jenny became a crafter, including card making. It’s also something I find immensely challenging! I can only hope that she is having a good day. She’s my sole carer, which tends to place a considerable burden upon her. Today, I’m doing all I can to minimise that.
I know that this post has little relevance to writing, books, ebooks, publishing or self-publishing, but I make no apology. Even a blog must sometimes have a little bit of real life creep into it.
~ Steve
