WIP (work in progress...)

Well I worked on it tonight... after the MBA paper and the 2 proposals I wrote. I am going to finish another unrelated short story now - but I promised progress updates so here it is:

previously written	28914	55
newly written	2010	4
total	30792	59

I am single spacing the pages. I like the way it looks as I write. I will reformat when I ask people to read it. My goal was 2000 words night and I met it. I could push more, but I am at a good place to stop. This is a very important part of the book.

I am happy with where I am heading. I have not outlined this one. It is in my head and I am letting it flow out of me organically.

Enough....

Ok I have been silent for a bit, but this is beyond the pale. I am sure we are all aware that I believe that hate begets hate. Close mindedness begets Closed mindedness.

I am going to state something that many people will not agree with BUT I feel it is the TRUTH. My motto of late is "I cannot tell you what you want to know, only what I know..."

• On 9/11 a group of MEN blew up and slaughtered many innocence people. They were men who where not "right minded" and loving. They were fanatics. They happened to be from countries in the middle east. They spoke languages other than English.
• An American blew up the the Federal building in Oklahoma City. His command of English was fine and he was also not "right minded" and loving. He slaughter Innocent people who were just working and making a living...
  
• In 1776 - depending on the view the revolutionaries began a revolution which while grounded in honorable ideals - was viewed by many as an act of terrorism and sedation. It turned out to be an amazing choice - but it was viewed by many as not right minded and loving... How about the civil war?
  
• The French Revolution saw the slaughter of 1000s of people - what began as a movement founded in philosophical principals, melted and morphed into a blood thirsty reign of terror.
• When the police killed the protesters at Kent State, they committed murder - I am not sure it was right minded or not. They followed orders. But what about freedom of speech.
  

See every issue has so many sides. Acts of hate beget more hate and confusion.

But this has to stop. Arabs, Middle Easterners and those who are Muslim are not guilty by proxy. Just as those of us who are Euro American are not all militia members and we are not going to blow up federal buildings. I am Euro American and I have never been a militia member, have no interest and frankly think fertilizer is dangerous to your health - blowing it up is just plain stupid.

I went to the young socialists meetings in college - but that did not mean I was going to join a group like the SDS in Germany. They were urban terrorists.

Arabic language t-shirts are not the problems. Arab or Middle Eastern Families, who are having a conversation about their fears of flying and the safest place to sit in an airliner - a conversation I had with L when we went to NYC are not a threat to the safety of other passengers.

Enough....

The real threat to security is not those who are Arab or those who are wearing clothing we do not like. The real threat - the threat to humanity is our own illusions, our own prejudices and our own arrogance.

If you think striping at the airport and having your bags searched is going to solve this - then I have some swamp land in Florida... cheap cheap cheap...

If you think discriminating against a certain group of people - Arabs, women, French speakers or whatever is going to help make us safer - I am here to tell you - IT IS NOT. HATE IS NEVER ENOUGH. Small mindedness is NEVER ENOUGH! Just look at what is happening in Israel and Palestine as I write. There is so much hate and violence and blood on hands on both sides in that conflict. Love and compassion is the only true resolution and that is hard. Hard to love with bloody hands... but it in the end will only be enough....

I have always thought that it is my right as an American - it is my legacy and my duty to live the principals of freedom. Freedom is a costly adventure my friends. Freedom lives in love and rightmindness and Freedom is a hard road. I ask you... Are we on the right road.

Delaying flights, covering T-shirts and bowing to the small and petty mean - well that is not courageous and it will never - not ever - BE ENOUGH.

Novel

Ok, so I have been writing but not in my novel for a long time. I am resolved to finish my work in progress. Or at least have a workable 1st draft by March 15. I think I can do it. I am about a third of the way into it and it is flowing and taking shape...

So my plan is to have a draft done March 15th.

I will take a page from Nadia Lee and list my progress here weekly on Fridays and reflect on how I am progressing. This is going to be a huge goal, given I am in MBA school - but the freelance stuff has tapered off and I am going to try and capitalize on the down time. We shall see.

Example of the table I will use...

	word count	page count
previously written	0
newly written
total

other projects

I edited a touch tonight and did write but did not do a count. I will start the count when I write again. I know I should set aside time everyday for this project but I cannot. My days vary and every time I have done that - picked a certain day or days, it does not work for me. I end up stuck or frustrated. So I will write when I have the time and while I will make the time, I am not going to get all mired in the exact when. If I wake up early, I will write. I image this will be a Sunday morning project and on Tuesday and Thrusdays - my work days. I will devote an hour or so.

The idea is to getit done and not send me into a full on case of stress induced writers block.

Language

E says to me a few days ago, whilst tugging on his drapes - "Will you help me open my carpets?" I laugh and tell him they are called curtains.

Today we are getting ready to head out and he is once again tugging on the curtains - "Will you help me open my covers?" I laugh and remind him they are called curtains.

Tonight - as we are were getting ready for bed, he asked me to "close his rugs...." I reminded him once again they are curtains.

But this reminds me about hard it is to learn a language. Which he is doing everyday. I am now correcting his verb tense and helping him learn the exceptions to the rules. Like it is make - made and not make, maked. He is applying patterns and English is not a language of patterns. So many exceptions to the rules.

The language acquisition process has always fascinated me. It has since I learned German. As an adult - you have to memorize and cram and practice. As a child you just soak it up like a sponge.

Happy New Year

I am a day late. It has been a busy holiday season. Today I am spending my day organizing my office and working on my business accounting and taxes. The joys of being a small business.

2008 and has been a big year. A lot has happened for me both personally and professionally. I am hopeful that 2009 will bring much of the same.

I have made some tough decisions this year and I have grown so much as a woman. I have written a ton. I cannot believe the sheer amount of words I can write. I know my posting in this space has tapered off and that is both because I have been focusing my time on other writing ventures, posting elsewhere and focus on my short stories and novels. It is not that I have a lack of things to say - merely other venues to say them in.

I toyed with shutting the blog down. Perhaps it has served its purpose. It was my space to speak my mind, explore various ideas and share events of my life and make observations.

But that choice does not seem good either. I still have things to say, just perhaps less time to say them. So I am going to commit to another year on the Edge. I have thought about a posting schedule but I am just going to let it flow in an organic way. I will write when the mood strikes me and when I think I have something of value to share.

I feel very convicted that 2009 is going to bring good things. I am feeling very positive indeed.