I took time off.
I needed time off.
I took time off from writing.
I took time off from editing.
I took time off from proofreading.
I needed that time off.
My brain needed a break.
My mind needed a sabbatical.
It’s time to get back to work, though.
I’m ready to edit.
I’m ready to write.
Bring me all the things.
I’m ready.
Be forewarned: this blog post is not (all) about writing and editing.
Listen, this thing is, to say the least, eye-opening. The virus, the quarantine, the blame-games, the politics – all of it has served as a major wake-up call.
As adults, we’ve all been under the weather at one time or another. I would venture to say we’ve all had the flu or some other crud that has knocked us off our feet for a few days. This, though, is whole new animal.
COVID-19 is kicking our behinds. When I say it’s kicking our behinds, I mean it’s kicking our behinds. Look at the map:
Take a look at the CDC website for the latest information on the spread of this deadly virus. People are dying. As of the writing, Italy has taken over China in the number of fatalities related to COVID-19.
People, we have a limited number of hours on this planet. Whether you’re living under self-quarantine or there is a mandatory quarantine in your case, use the time to reset, regroup, and to recoup.
Reset – I have a whole new respect for the self-employed, especially since I am one of them. I’m using this time to reset my own rules of operation to be more proactive in the event that assignments slow down like they have recently.
Regroup – I’ve decided to add a number of groups to the customers I service. I don’t proclaim to be the super nova of writers and editors, but I am good at what I do and I plan to expand my portfolio.
Recoup – I believe people should use this time to recoup from the rat race. Read a book, spend some much-needed time with the kids, walk the dog, sit by the water – do something that requires nothing more than your presence.
Here we are on the cusp of a brand new decade. To say I’m ready is the understatement of the day, week, month, year, and millennium. The past 10 years have been HARD.
I lost my mother in 2015. I’ve shared before that my mom did not have a formal education. She didn’t complete the 10th grade before she had to go to work building railroad ties. She was widowed and had given birth before she was 15.
Traditional school — classes, homework, field trips, etc. — was not a part of her “schooling”. Whatever she learned in this life came through hard knocks. She passed those valuable lessons on to us, her children, but she also made sure that we all received the “book” learning she never did. I have her to thank for my master’s degree. I have her to thank for my love of reading and writing. I have her to thank for my desire to make Scrivener Shine Edits a success.
In 2017, I lost my 41-year old nephew. I have written two very important pieces about his death. My purpose for writing them was two-fold: I need others to understand how grief and mourning can impact the bereaved, and I need people to know the difficulty of moving forward after the death of a loved one.
The first one can be found at http://coffeehousewriters.com/where-did-he-go/. It was published on January 1, 2018, shortly after he passed. I was so desperately lost.
The second one can be found at https://medium.com/@treaseshine/68-800-640-seconds-ago-a4c14dc28c5f. I wrote that one on December 18, 2019. I am still lost.
Read them. Feel them.
Finally, in 2018, I experienced the heartbreak of a lifetime. I refuse to give that thing any more opportunity to demolish my soul, so I won’t go into detail but know that out of the ashes come sometimes comes goodness. I’m good. I’m better for the deceit. I’m better for the manipulation. Another human being single-handedly killed my spirit, but I promise, I’m better for it.
Every day is new. Every day is a blessing. We get to start over. It just happens that we are at the beginning of a new decade. We have the opportunity to do big stuff. We can do that stuff on our own terms.
My goal is to work through 20 things in 2020 that will bring my soul joy. One of them is to grow Scrivener Shine Edits into the success I know its meant to be. My mission is to write for the benefit of others. My mission is to make sure other businesses are successful in their presentation. My mission is to help other businesses prosper.
See you guys on the other side.
It’s Monday, y’all! Throw that blanket back and work that business! Let’s get on it and have a productive week.
I’m ready to write, I’m ready to edit.
Contact me so I can help you with all your writing and editing needs.
Times have changed. What was necessary yesteryear is in some cases, irrelevant now. In some cases, what was relevant in years pass will remain relevant forever.
These days, new businesses are popping up all over the place. We’re constantly seeing people take the initiative to spread their wings and run their own businesses. Sometimes these organizations are created so that folks can make an independent living; sometimes they’re established to meet the needs of a very specific community. Sometimes they’re developed to sell a good; sometimes they’re put together to buy goods.
Some startups are small and local, and plan to stay that way. There is a tiny hamburger stand in a neighboring town that only operates Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The burgers are humungous and delicious. Meal deals start at $4.99 for a single-patty burger, which is enough to fill the average person’s belly up. They have a $5.99 meal deal, though, that is meant for guys who are coming off long shifts from International Paper, the oil fields, or one who’s been washing cars all day — you know, those who folks haven’t eaten all day and are starving.
Does that small burger stand need a business plan? Nah. The kind of effort that does require a business plan, though, is one that I personally plan to develop in the very near future.
As a survivor of domestic violence, I realized on July 21, 2009 (the day I suffered an aneurysm due to the abuse), that my mission in this life is not only to help others escape that hell of domestic abuse, but to assist them in moving into better lives after the escape.
Recently, I established membership at my cousin’s church and he approached me about spearheading a ministry to assist victims of domestic violence. I have served on speaker panels to assist doctors and nurses in recognizing domestic abuse victims; I have given talks on what I survived as an upper middle-class victim. I plan to reestablish a blog discussing my journey. This undertaking, though, will go beyond talking.
My mission is to do. There is often a need for (re)education after abuse. I will use my Master of Arts degree in English and Creative Writing to help victims gain their GEDs or HESETs. There are other areas that need attention. I will need a licensed counselor to see victims. I will need a facility to house this thing. I need a lot of things to make my mission a success.
THAT STUFF REQUIRES funding. Yes, a well-developed business is needed and I will provide it. I will begin work on it this week and plan to add business plan development to my list of services in the very near future.
Scrivener Shine Edits, L.L.C. 