Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Existential musings

Things aren't working so well in the MacKenzie household. If you read the Blue Screen of Death post, you know the MacKenzie machines are on the fritz. Well, I found out yesterday I have walking pneumonia. (Why do I want to hum "Waltzing Matilda"?) Actually, I'm happy. I've got drugs. But it got me thinking about life and art. Hmm. Well, it got me thinking about stuff.

On this day 23 years ago at 1:20am, I gave birth to my second son. I'm glad I didn't have pneumonia then. And last year I was in the hospital also, but this time waiting for my mom to die. (She died a year ago tomorrow.) Again, I'm glad I didn't have pneumonia, though I did end up getting sick with something respiratory after the funeral. Last year on this coming weekend--Memorial Day weekend in the States--we had my mom's funeral. This year we have my fourth son's high school graduation.

Some people believe life just happens and others believe that Someone is overseeing things in some way. At the moment I'm just thinking it looks like things are going to work out for us for graduation at least. I hope. Knock on wood. (Graduation boy is off on a senior retreat, so we don't know for sure how he's doing. And we do have a few days left for a disaster or two.)

That's one of the nice things about writing books. As author, you're in control of the story. You can make bad things happen--or not. And in most romances--in my books, at least--the reader knows there will be a happy ending.

Here's to happy endings! (And Azithromycin Pak.)

3 comments:

Kristi Cook said...

Sally, I think you hit the nail on the head about what makes writing so seductive--total control. Where else in our lives can we completely control and manipulate every thing and every one? It's very heady, and very fun!

Glad you got some meds to get rid of that pneumonia--just think, if you lived in the era you write about, you'd just have to suffer. :o) Hey, why don't you give a villain in your next book a nasty case of walking pneumonia?!

Unknown said...

I've always thought life would be so much better if everyone would just BEHAVE! LOL I guess, as an author, you can make that happen or not as you like.

As for things happening in cycles like that, my father had a stroke and then a heart attack in April. A few years later, he had another stroke, again in April. The really strange thing is that he was also born in April. April seems to be a very stressful month for him :Þ

Keep taking those drugs (aren't they a wonderful perk of living in this day and age?) and feel better!

Sally MacKenzie said...

Hmm, Kristi, that's an idea...but would it be called pneumonia or something else? At the moment one of my heroines in the Baron is complaining of her corset being too tight--sort of in your honor.

That's odd about your dad and April, jackietoo. I wonder if it was just happenstance or there was some reason for it--some special stress or something. And if you wrote that in a book, someone might complain it was unbelievable! And yes, while there are things I might like about the Regency, I don't really want to go back to that time. I like my meds--those these aren't yet proving to be the miracle drugs I was hoping for--and my running water, indoor plumbing, and other modern conveniences!