BOOK TALK

 

MEETING BOB — Part One

Every morning, okay most mornings, after making a proper mochachino, I sit on my sofa, turn on the IPad to see if it is my turn to play a scrabble word with my friend Sylvia in Montreal. Our time difference is three hours so I know she has been waiting the longest. It’s only fair.

So this particular morning I am also thinking about a guy named Bob. I have never met Bob but I have seen him around and I could spot him in a crowd or a line-up. In a few hours I will be meeting Bob. He has purchased a few of my books as gifts for people he meets in his work capacity as the Member of the Legislative Assembly. He represents my region of the province, and has invited me to “book-talk” and sign.

In the distant past such an official meeting would make me nervous or feel a tad anxious.  I used to think people with titles wore crowns making them superior or something. You would think that after working in a high ranking political office for nearly 30 years, all of those nerves and anxiety would be completely gone. Few people with titles wear crowns that fit. Most are just ordinary and many think they are more than ordinary, but really they are not. They are just ordinary folk with different dreams and different upbringings. 

My nerves are calm and my anxiety level is low because I am an ordinary gal, about to meet an ordinary guy named Bob for the first time. If I am feeling anything right now, the word would be curious. 

Speaking of words, I am looking at the scrabble board and my letter tiles. I see the word Reiki* and see a perfect spot for it.  My excitement level rises for another reason. It’s the perfect word to carry on my right shoulder as I walk into Bob’s office to do something completely new for the first time;  and, I am  feeling calm about whatever is about to be.

Thank you Sylvia — it is your turn and I will be back soon. 😃 

MEETING BOB — Part Two

It is now four hours later … I met Bob. He was smiling and very welcoming as we sat in the boardroom with a captive audience. He started off by saying his family runs a publishing company and he knows how hard it is to get a book published, promoted and distributed. His words were the perfect opening for my piece. The guests were all ears. The more I spoke and responded to questions, the more I felt my confidence level and personal pride molecules vibrate. I could feel my Reiki Master on my shoulder keeping me calm and level-headed, and my friends and family saying “you go girl”! 

At times like this, my mind still goes back to ‘little me’ sitting on the porch of our two story North Bend house, looking 👀 inquisitively off in the distance — wondering to where all those drivers on the TransCanada Highway were going, and why. And, I would wonder if one day I would no longer feel stuck in a small village, with no amenities or opportunities, and actually find out. 

Well, of course, I have followed that Highway,  gone far beyond it, and I have found out. I have found out a lot, in fact — quite a lot, and I am still finding out more and more almost every day. Road options are endless. Sure some are dead-ends, some are challenging and maybe even scary, but if you don’t try them out, you won’t ever know.

I am definitely loving this journey called life and living, and still sometimes feeling in a bit of a daze about it all. But, I know that even though I am having a great time, dancing on sunshine and feeling my life grow like a naturally fertilized garden, a horn of plenty,  I still don’t want to wear a crown. I just want to be an ordinary person, simple and grounded, keeping my head on straight, my heart happily beating, and my legs peddling casually forward. 

Thank you Bob, for saying all the right things, for welcoming me to your table, and for supporting my book project. It means  a lot.

 *[Note: Reiki is an ancient technique used for stress reduction and relaxation and has been shown to have several benefits for both physical and mental health.]