Hi ...
It's been awhile I know . . . . much happens, yet nothing of great import occurs.
I have been working tirelessly on the books, and although slow, I am pleased with my progress. I do wish I had done this before I released the first book, but then life is a learning process and I know so much more, (as well as being better at the craft) than I did a year ago.
But my plodding efforts are producing a much better book overall, so in that I'm happy.
Book two should be available by mid-September, and I hope to have the boxed set out by Christmas; and really, that is how it should be read. It was written as one long stand-alone novel, with the sequel being a second set of books . . . It is, however, still a fun read one at a time.
~
Okay; now for the personal note.
Last week the son of a dear friend of mine and his girlfriend were on their way to Maui to attend her sister's wedding, and as they were in the neighborhood, they worked out a stop on the Big Island to visit JJ and I. Now, company is always fun, but this one put an oddly nostalgic spin on the week.
These kids; and I refer to them as kids because they are in their mid-twenties, and that makes 'em kids . . . they were a treat, but as I mentioned, their being here brought back memories by the boatload.
First let me say that they were charming, incredibly polite, and wonderful house guests, who also happen to be very talented musicians.
~
Now, I'm a bit jaded. I have been around great music most of my life and I've worked with some of the biggest names in show biz.
I am also quite selective in my likes and dislikes. Therefore, I am rarely impressed with the direction or the quality of the music I hear, whether it be live or recorded. I absolutely despise rap and am, on the whole, equally unimpressed with hip-hop.
But these guys are doing something newly retro, interesting, and fun. As a matter of fact, I recommend you go to their website and check 'em out, You'll find the link at the end of this post.. . .
~
As I was saying, we don't often hang with people this much younger than ourselves. And since we have no children of our own we aren't reminded by said prodigy how quickly we are growing old.
So it was refreshing to talk with smart and talented people who have not yet been beaten into submission by reality's blunt hammer, nor soaking in egos bouillabaisse.
Anyway, the conversations were grand; but left me with mixed feelings . . .
Now, I suspect Jessies father had given him a little insight to my past, and having stuffed a lot of living into a handful of decades, they allowed me to draw from my river of experience and offer them not so much advice, but perspective. And of the two, I feel perspective is often the more valuable.
So in that, I felt I provided a minor service.
But also, in talking with them I realized how much I miss the open innocence of youth, the unfettered hope, and boundless energy that being twenty provides; and perversely, how blissfully unaware we are of the fleeting nature of those magical years . . . Yet when spoken as warning/advice, the words sound both trite, and cliche'.
Ahh well, I have also found that one of life's greatest ironies is that while we may hear the wisdom in words; in the end, time is the only teacher we truly listen to.
~
So, having dropped them off at the airport last night so they might continue their own amazing adventure, I was left thinking of just that; the elasticity of time . . . .
Jessie, the handsome young fellow with the mustache and the red tie, is the same age I was when I met Jeudi, and we celebrated our 34th-anniversary just yesterday. And Lauren, the lovely vocalist was born the year after we moved to Hawaii . ..
~
With these things poking my memory cage like a child with a stick,
I spent some time this morning searching for quotes with 'growing older' in the title, and I discovered ( with no surprise) there to be no shortage on the subject.
Many were witty, others profound. But as I studied them, trying to find the one that would work well in this post I remembered a quote that Teller lifted from a song I wrote for my Grandfather before he died.
It's in Book One, and says it all in one simple sentence.
~
I have been working tirelessly on the books, and although slow, I am pleased with my progress. I do wish I had done this before I released the first book, but then life is a learning process and I know so much more, (as well as being better at the craft) than I did a year ago.
But my plodding efforts are producing a much better book overall, so in that I'm happy.
Book two should be available by mid-September, and I hope to have the boxed set out by Christmas; and really, that is how it should be read. It was written as one long stand-alone novel, with the sequel being a second set of books . . . It is, however, still a fun read one at a time.
~
Okay; now for the personal note.
Last week the son of a dear friend of mine and his girlfriend were on their way to Maui to attend her sister's wedding, and as they were in the neighborhood, they worked out a stop on the Big Island to visit JJ and I. Now, company is always fun, but this one put an oddly nostalgic spin on the week.
These kids; and I refer to them as kids because they are in their mid-twenties, and that makes 'em kids . . . they were a treat, but as I mentioned, their being here brought back memories by the boatload.
First let me say that they were charming, incredibly polite, and wonderful house guests, who also happen to be very talented musicians.
~
Now, I'm a bit jaded. I have been around great music most of my life and I've worked with some of the biggest names in show biz.
I am also quite selective in my likes and dislikes. Therefore, I am rarely impressed with the direction or the quality of the music I hear, whether it be live or recorded. I absolutely despise rap and am, on the whole, equally unimpressed with hip-hop.
But these guys are doing something newly retro, interesting, and fun. As a matter of fact, I recommend you go to their website and check 'em out, You'll find the link at the end of this post.. . .
~
As I was saying, we don't often hang with people this much younger than ourselves. And since we have no children of our own we aren't reminded by said prodigy how quickly we are growing old.
So it was refreshing to talk with smart and talented people who have not yet been beaten into submission by reality's blunt hammer, nor soaking in egos bouillabaisse.
Anyway, the conversations were grand; but left me with mixed feelings . . .
Now, I suspect Jessies father had given him a little insight to my past, and having stuffed a lot of living into a handful of decades, they allowed me to draw from my river of experience and offer them not so much advice, but perspective. And of the two, I feel perspective is often the more valuable.
So in that, I felt I provided a minor service.
But also, in talking with them I realized how much I miss the open innocence of youth, the unfettered hope, and boundless energy that being twenty provides; and perversely, how blissfully unaware we are of the fleeting nature of those magical years . . . Yet when spoken as warning/advice, the words sound both trite, and cliche'.
Ahh well, I have also found that one of life's greatest ironies is that while we may hear the wisdom in words; in the end, time is the only teacher we truly listen to.
~
So, having dropped them off at the airport last night so they might continue their own amazing adventure, I was left thinking of just that; the elasticity of time . . . .
Jessie, the handsome young fellow with the mustache and the red tie, is the same age I was when I met Jeudi, and we celebrated our 34th-anniversary just yesterday. And Lauren, the lovely vocalist was born the year after we moved to Hawaii . ..
~
With these things poking my memory cage like a child with a stick,
I spent some time this morning searching for quotes with 'growing older' in the title, and I discovered ( with no surprise) there to be no shortage on the subject.
Many were witty, others profound. But as I studied them, trying to find the one that would work well in this post I remembered a quote that Teller lifted from a song I wrote for my Grandfather before he died.
It's in Book One, and says it all in one simple sentence.
~
"To sacrifice youth and replace it with truth seems an unfairly high price to pay."
~
Oh, and one last thing. I know this is a good book, and if the reviews have any validity, many people agree.
But understand, if no-one else knows about it, well, that's as far as it goes. So please, tell people about the book! share your enthusiasm with others . . . Everyone I've ever met appreciates being turned on to a good read, and I can't tell you how many times I've been thanked for it, or thanked others for the same.
As for marketing, I am exploring all avenues and am beating my head against the wall trying to figure out how to market this on a nonexistent budget.
For those who are thinking of suggesting one of the funding sites such as Kickstarter, I'm putting together a video now, but still, I am a firm believer in word of mouth being an incredibly powerful form of promotion. So, please, open up!
~
I would also like to say many, many mahalo's for following my adventures. I truly hope you are enjoying my slightly skewed views on life, as well as finding humor, and perhaps an occasional bit of enlightenment within these pages.
But understand, if no-one else knows about it, well, that's as far as it goes. So please, tell people about the book! share your enthusiasm with others . . . Everyone I've ever met appreciates being turned on to a good read, and I can't tell you how many times I've been thanked for it, or thanked others for the same.
As for marketing, I am exploring all avenues and am beating my head against the wall trying to figure out how to market this on a nonexistent budget.
For those who are thinking of suggesting one of the funding sites such as Kickstarter, I'm putting together a video now, but still, I am a firm believer in word of mouth being an incredibly powerful form of promotion. So, please, open up!
~
I would also like to say many, many mahalo's for following my adventures. I truly hope you are enjoying my slightly skewed views on life, as well as finding humor, and perhaps an occasional bit of enlightenment within these pages.
D.C.
No comments:
Post a Comment