Finding Optimism

Optimism is the real magic. It turns dreams into reality.Once again it’s been two weeks since I last posted. I’m thinking … from here on out, you can expect that when I return from Wisconsin unaccompanied … there will be neither the energy nor the will for blogging on that day. Since that day is going to be a Sunday… there will be no check-in update.

It’s not that it’s so bad, dire, terrible, or unsettling after this handful of times having accomplished it. But it’s also never going to be a happy place for me to have left behind my loves, no matter what greater good it serves.

The interesting thing about being home, where my desk, chair, and computer are in a familiar configuration, and I have a kind of rhythm to my life–even if it does involve getting up far too many times in a day to let one or the other of the dogs in or out–is that I do manage more productivity. I almost met my goal of 5K words. I took three walks of over two miles. I took care of sorting and decluttering such that my collection of clothes is almost pared down to just what I have in Virginia. I even wrote the white paper I was hoping to produce for work.

Arriving in Virginia again … well … I managed to turn in all the assignments for  both classes. And took a walk yesterday. But the contrast of living within your own space as opposed to temporarily occupying space in someone else’s life–no matter how beloved they might be–makes a distinct difference in my ability to squeeze those extra moments of productivity out of the days that have allowed me to publish seven books in the past two years.

Yet I’m optimistic. This was a beautiful spring week, and my hubs was able to take some time off to join me. We started looking for appropriate neighborhoods where we could be happy living. We also discovered an unbelievable number of scammers online related to housing. For instance: Do not trust American Standard, and for the love of ALL the gods, be VERY careful about responding to Craigslist ads (I discovered a new twist on a classic Nigerian scam this morning that would make you shiver to imagine those who fell for the phishing hook they tried to set). So we’ve been talking to friends and family looking for more trusted sources of information–and also found it’s probably a little early to look for an appropriate rental unit for an anticipated August 1st move-in date.

Then there were two tweaks to my collection of plotbunnies. My hubs sent me a link to one of our favorite sites, which posted a story about potential implications of the many worlds theory. It tells me, again, that anything is possible. And I’m just as likely to fail imagining what my possible future looks like, when I compare the current state of technology with the types of prognostication mid-century scientists provided (though this particular example was debunked by Snopes).

So I’m going to see whether I can manage 1K words of fiction while I’m taking two classes, and still manage to turn in all my classwork on time. I’ll see whether I can manage walks on my own once my hubs heads home again early in the week. And I’ll keep looking for the silver lining in the clouds of the next few months because I know this process will turn our dreams into reality. May it be a reminder to everyone to keep dreaming. In the meantime, check out how the other ROWers are managing their goals.

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2 thoughts on “Finding Optimism

  1. Sorry to hear about your phishing scam experiences, Tonya. Like Stephanie says though, at least you caught the scammers before they caught you. Seems like everything needs a healthy dose of salt lately before it can be swallowed….

    That said, your traveling experience is interesting. I can’t say I’m surprised, but I’ve noticed something of this before when I had to visit family across the state regularly.

    Enjoy those classes. And the round

  2. Looks like you have a lot going on in your life. It’s frightening to hear about the scams, it’s hurtful to know that there are so many dishonest people and organizations. Luckily you caught each one. Writing and taking classes simultaneously is something I know well. It can be really challenging, but I’m sure you will meet your goals 🙂 good luck!

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