This blog has been silent the last two weeks. While
I juggle a lot in my life: a full time bill paying job, caring for an elderly
parent, writing, studying martial arts and my role as an officer in the St.
Louis Writers Guild, May is the month when things have always gone boom. That
is because it is one of the highest pressure and busiest times at the bill pay
job and it is membership renewal for the St. Louis Writers Guild (which falls
to me as the VP of Membership). But, let me take a step back.
I use to be able to say that I had two full time
jobs and two part time jobs--only one of which actually pays me anything. But,
a year ago tomorrow life took a drastic turn. Tomorrow is the one year anniversary
of my mother's health going downhill like an out of control speed skier who hit
a mogul wrong at sixty miles per hour. In short--she had a severe hypoglycemic
moment that led to two fractures in a leg (which went undetected by a certain
hospital in St. Louis, but I won't mention them here--nor would I ever take
anyone there), infections that eventually (because of antibiotics) led to
C-Diff, compression fractures on her spine, having to relearn to walk. She has
made remarkable progress having gone from 10 baby steps in August and being
wheelchair bound to being able to walk everywhere (with a walker) and starting
to drive again. I am the only child, so everything fell on to me.
Once she was discharged to home, I was living on
sleep deprivation as I had to tend to every need. It was like having a 160
pound baby. Before anyone asks--no, insurance nor Medicare pays for custodial
care. It fell to me--all of it. I did have to hire someone to care for her
during the day while I was at work, but I was pretty much a prisoner at home.
Unfortunately, home is the worst writing environment for me. Further, she has no appreciation for writing. She
actually doesn't read, except the newspaper, and considers writing to be frivolous.
During this time, my bill pay job became (and still
is) overwhelmingly demanding. I can't go into things here. I will say I am
surprised I didn't have a heart attack while I have been under constant stress
for over two years--and was having to pull off the high stress job while
sitting in the hospital rooms while she was recovering. Thus my two full time
jobs became three and one of those was really at least two jobs in itself.
(More like 6, but who's counting?)
So, this May, while I am now able to get back to a
semi-normal life because she has improved so much, I was not prepared for the
how this month would go and how much of my time would be drained away. On top
of everything, I have been working on a new novel and was researching it. In short, my Coffee with David blog had to
take a back seat in the bus. I am hoping
June will be a better month. Tomorrow I will be announcing the winner of the
book Katana and posting a new contest.
I will see you all here tomorrow for a new month on
Coffee with David.
Thank you
for reading and please visit www.davidalanlucas.com and www.thewriterslens.com.
You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens
@TheWritersLens. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in
our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.
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