40 Plus Years

 

Someone posted today that they were going to do something that made them anxious but they were going to do it anyway.  Then asked if 'you' were doing something that made 'you' anxious today?

Happens that I read that post right after making an appointment to meet with my editor at 11 am.  As I sat there with a ball of 'sick' in my stomach, I thought about the previous times I'd self-published.  Both of the previous books had been a hell of a lot more work and took a hell of a lot longer to pull together than this one.

But I'm older now and I have those two other publications, live and in the wild, and this time?  Was a completely different experience.

One of my alpha readers commented how quickly it had come together, then mused that it had been 40 years in the making.  I agreed and said that I felt like I had been taking dictation.

So.  My hat trick consists of Magic in the Water; wet finishing handwovens; The Intentional Weaver; how to weave better, and now?  Stories from the Matrix.  Those two thumb drives are two copies of the essays, one of which will go with the editor today, the other will be kept by me as a backup copy.

Stories is not meant to be The Compleate Book of Weaving, but simply MY stories.  Things I've learned along the journey.  In some cases I have nothing to back up my conclusions but my observations and experiences.  Not everyone will agree with me, nor will some of the things I suggest be appropriate for everyone. Some of the essays are simply telling my tales as I journeyed through the past 40 plus years.  Some of them are humourous, some of them are tales of gratitude to those I met along the way.  Some of them scrape another layer off what I know about weaving and may be of value to someone else.  Even someone who might be experienced?   

Like everything else about weaving, whether or not Stories will resonate with another weaver will depend.

OTOH, both alpha readers have commented that they learned something by reading their portion of the essays.  And I think that says everything I needed to hear, and why I will keep going with this.  Even though I am nervous of the reaction when the essays are released into the 'wild'.  Even though I am sure not everyone will like it or agree with me.  Even so.

Ultimately my purpose, right from the beginning, was to help others, as best I could.  I hope to live for a few more years to see what other things I might learn.  Perhaps schedule more Zoom presentations so I can continue to reach out to the weaving community to share my stories.

I look back on my life with no small sense of wonder.  A life I had no idea would open for me.  A path that was far from clear when viewed from the other end, but appears so clear from this.

The plan is to officially publish July 9, 2023.  It's my birthday and I cannot think of a better way to mark another trip around the sun.  

Stay tuned for details.  There is still a lot of work to be done, but the majority of my work has been accomplished and now I turn it over to other hands.  

In the meantime I will continue to weave.  To learn.  To grow, if I'm lucky.  And write this blog for those who are interested.  

Twice now I have published a book and said 'that's it, I'm done' and twice I've had to eat my words.  So I won't say 'never' but neither do I know if there is anything else I have left to say that would warrant an actual 'book'.  

Guess I will find out?