{"id":546,"date":"2012-08-15T22:01:44","date_gmt":"2012-08-16T02:01:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.sherryquanlee.com\/?p=546"},"modified":"2012-08-15T22:01:44","modified_gmt":"2012-08-16T02:01:44","slug":"a-sentimental-journey-indeed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.sherryquanlee.com\/?p=546","title":{"rendered":"A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY, INDEED"},"content":{"rendered":"

Don’t Have to Imagine Love<\/em><\/h1>\n

What can I say?<\/p>\n

I have been trying hard to post at least once a week, but recently I\u2019ve been sidetracked or just lazy, lol!\u00a0 Today, though, for whatever reason, I feel like writing.\u00a0 I feel like an aha moment has hit me in the head.\u00a0 Just now I realized I don\u2019t have to imagine love.\u00a0 Love is everywhere.\u00a0 I love myself, I love my friends, I love my Family-I love acquaintances, I love people I don\u2019t even know, okay some of them.\u00a0 People love me (yup, even ex\u2019s for better or worse).\u00a0 Despite a world of tumult and chaos, and, yes, hate-historical and current, love abounds.<\/p>\n

That said, I may never finish my book, Love Imagined,<\/em> but it will always nudge me to come back to it, keep adding to it-keep writing towards understanding of who I am; and, yes, I will keep posting to\u00a0 my blog, Love Imagined<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I have always known I needed a balance between living and writing, but what does that mean? \u00a0For now, it means living.\u00a0 For now, it means only write when the muse overwhelms me<\/em>.\u00a0 For now, it means take a step back to ruminate, take a step forward to live life<\/em> to the fullest.<\/p>\n

For now, right now, I am just thankful and appreciative of who I am and of all the wonderful, smart, sensitive, supportive, absolutely beautiful people-many who have a great sense of humor-I know whether we\u2019ve crossed paths for a moment or a lifetime, whether you\u2019ve come and gone come and gone.<\/p>\n

Friends like Annie whom I\u2019ve known since kindergarten.\u00a0 Annie has seen me through more relationships than anyone I know, who has sheltered me, fed me, held the reception for my second wedding in her home and more recently joined me on a boat in Vegas to take videos of my son\u2019s wedding.\u00a0 Annie who has dragged me to class reunions-where I\u2019ve reconnected with other friends-like Patty.<\/p>\n

Friends who have entered my life at various stages of my life.\u00a0 Friends who have mentored me. Friends whom I have mentored. Friends who have cried with me. Friends who have laughed with me. Friends who don\u2019t care if I know whether I use \u201cwho\u201d or \u201cwhom\u201d correctly.\u00a0 \u00a0Friends who don\u2019t judge me; and friends who do judge me, lol.\u00a0 Friends who I can call in the middle of the night.\u00a0 Friends who know what I mean when I say \u201cI can\u2019t afford to.\u201d\u00a0 Friends who also can\u2019t \u201cafford to.\u201d\u00a0 Friends who may not know they are friends. My publisher; Victor.<\/a>\u00a0 People who have read my books and found something meaningful in my words and those who have given me critical feedback.\u00a0 My cousin Jay and his wife Shirley-love you!\u00a0 My dislocated worker counselor.\u00a0 Friends who know me as “Buttercup.”<\/a>\u00a0 My neighbor Alice.<\/p>\n

I could drop a lot of names (never use the words \u201ca lot\u201d be specific, ha! Okay, noted for another post, list of names) but you know who you are and what I\u2019m really trying to get at (never try to force a triggering subject) is although I, like many, have lived\/live through racism, sexism, ageism-all those isms-and have tried our best to create awareness and change we still have to find that balance, find what works for us to do what we can and still be happy, still have a life.<\/p>\n

The last ten years I have had an amazing life.\u00a0 I have had two books published, I have edited several books, I have taught and co-taught (with Laurie Young-Williams) writing workshops from Moorhead to Mankato (and in September 2012 Maidenrock, Wisconsin at\u00a0\u00a0 Running Dog Ranch<\/a>.\u00a0 I had an almost ten years of working with incredible writers from across the country with the incredible Split Rock Arts Program.\u00a0 And, I now have four wonderful grandchildren. And, and, and\u2026..<\/p>\n

I have also had challenges or as I\u2019d rather call them \u201cinspirations.\u201d\u00a0 Ethan, my grandson, is four and non-verbal autistic (I have met amazing bloggers as I search to know more about autism<\/a>)\u00a0 I was laid off of my job, then due to a fluke I lost my unemployment three months before it would be up anyways, and soon I will lose my health insurance and life insurance (until I turn a marvelous 65 in January when depending on the political situation should be able to be somewhat covered by Medicare).\u00a0 I applied for jobs on line only to be rejected a few minutes after submitting an application (but “friends” have helped me through to soon be working again).\u00a0 I have maxed credit cards and borrowed from one to pay another (but I have A-1 credit and so far have never paid a bill late, and my sister has been extremely generous\/and not judgmental).\u00a0 I\u2019ve cried a few times, but mostly I\u2019ve kept a positive attitude, a smile on my face, and always made sure I found ways to entertain myself AND keep my gray roots from showing-friend Jackie<\/a>!<\/p>\n

As a writing teacher I believe in the the triggering subject<\/a>, but right now it seems like the triggering subject is taking me a long time to get where it\u2019s going, so bear with me.\u00a0 Or better, yet. I will just stop here (no one likes long blog posts anyways, save something to keep \u2018em comin\u2019 back<\/em> as the saying goes).<\/p>\n

One more thing, as Whitney said, “It’s all about love.”<\/a><\/p>\n

Sherry Lee<\/p>\n

August 15, 2012<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Don’t Have to Imagine Love What can I say? I have been trying hard to post at least once a week, but recently I\u2019ve been sidetracked or just lazy, lol!\u00a0 Today, though, for whatever reason, I feel like writing.\u00a0 I feel like an aha moment has hit me in the …<\/p>\n

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