Last Wednesday, I ran through the New York City Port Authority like a banshee, my fifty-pound book bag slamming against my back, sweat breaking out on my forehead. The clock flashed 8:27 PM. I had three minutes to make the bus or wait until 11pm bus, which wouldnāt get me home until 1 AM. The national guardsmen eyed me as I flew by. One touched his gun and then he smiled, surely figuring that the capri-wearing middle-aged woman wasnāt a terrorist. I bounded down the escalator to gate 19 and stopped. There were only three people in line.
āIs this the 8:30 bus to Reading?ā I huffed. āWhere is everybody?ā
āThe bus leaves at 9.ā
Well, lucky for me! I slid into line delighted Iād read the schedule incorrectly. How could I not be happy? I was in my beloved place. Thatās right. The New York Port Authority is one of my favorite spots. The air, exhaust, and hustle and bustle. This is where it all started thirty years ago. Iād travel to and from PA day after day hunting down my hope to be an actress. Now Iām lugging it from my small town to the Big Apple to study writing with Susan Shapiro. My novel What The Valley Knows will be published in January. Iām excited and feel alive.
As I waited to board the bus, a pigeon walked by as I adjusted my book bag. Oh, itās even more charming than I remember. Birds to boot!
All of this makes me happy. Sometimes, I want to pinch myself. Pursuing my creative dreams again feels right. Maybe the idioms Iāve come to live by, the ones Iāve posted on my computer desk, and said enough times to make my kids vomit, have really worked. So I made a list on the bus ride home of the sayings that have pulled me through to this point. Would any of the following find a spot on your list?
Itās never too late to be who you might have been. (George Eliot, the pen name of Victorian novelist Mary Ann Evans). When I used to think about who I set out to be as a young person, I felt like Iād strayed so far from my true self. But now Iām taking little steps to become a writer, because . . .
From small things, big things come. (Bruce Springsteen ā lyrics here)Ā When Iām facing a huge project, I try to do the next small thing. Like the Army General Creighton Abrams was famous for saying, āWhen eating an elephant, take one bite at a time.ā Life can be overwhelming: kids, work, household chores, let alone the pursuit of our own ambitions. Take little bites. Iāve found that, one sentence at a time, the 80,000 word novel gets written. Because at the end of the day you need to . . .
Play the cards youāre dealt. (Randy Pausch) Instead of curling up in a ball upon learning he had pancreatic cancer and only six months to live, the Carnegie Mellon University computer science professor gave a lecture series entitled the āThe Last Lecture: Really Achieving Childhood Dreams.ā His talk became a YouTubeĀ sensation and led to a book deal creating a beautiful and financial legacy for his family. Play the hand your dealt, otherwise the only choice is to fold. And then thereās no chance of winning. But even so . . .
Sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you. (Ralph Waldo Emerson) My dad used to say this all the timeāwhether we were celebrating a big win or bemoaning a crushing loss. I found myself telling my son the same thing, after his high school teamās spectacular defeat in the first round of the PIAA State Lacrosse Tournament. They were winning 7-0 late in the third quarter when the bear began to feast. Our opponent scored 8 straight goals to win the game and knocked us out of states. And while the loss was painful to witness, and it left some of our strong sons in tears, I know our boys are beginning to learn that . . .
This too shall pass. (King Solomon) The bad stuff always gets better if you just give it a little time. Things usually look brighter in the morning. Thereāll be another chance to make things right. Thereās next season. And thatās why itās best to . . .
Be kinder than necessary. (Suzie Christieāmy mom) You never know what someone is going through. A āgood gameā after a humiliating loss or a word of kindness might be the nudge a person needs to make it through a tough time. My mother is also famous for saying, āNever miss an opportunity to give a complimentā and she invented The Compliment Game. Itās important to be kind first, not only with our co-workers and friends, but also, even more importantly, with our children, because . . .
The days are long, but the years are short. (Gretchen Rubin) All this hyper-focused, time-consuming parenting eventually ends. I stand on the precipice of a new world. My son will graduate next spring and while this is a bittersweet time, Iāve noticed a flicker of excitement in my gut, for both of usāweāre both about to face new adventures. The return-to-me-phase descending, which makes me know that I need to . . .
Enjoy life. This is not a dress rehearsal. This has become more evident as Iāve contemplated what I want the second half of my life to look like, to consider what my āwork here on earthā is supposed to be. Iām trying to get in the game more, stand on the sidelines less. I tell my kids to leave it all on the field, to give it their all. Iām trying to do it, too. With my launch book I donāt want to look back and say I wish Iād done this or that. So you might see me acting a little crazy! Because I will . . .
Never give in! (Winston Churchill) And I hope you wonāt either. Discover your passion. Your meaning. Your reason for being here, and LIVE IT! You might find yourself my seat mate, pulling into the NYC Port Authority, chasing a dream! All I can say is, āLetās roll!ā
* * *
My greatest beauty secret is being happy with myself. I don’t use special creams or treatments – I’ll use a little bit of everything. It’s a mistake to think you are what you put on yourself. I believe that a lot of how you look is to do with how you feel about yourself and your life. Happiness is the greatest beauty secret.
āTina Turner
* * *
I found this Grilled Steak Salad With Asian Dressing on AllRecipes.com. It looks fabulous. Click here for the recipe.
* * *
Updated Post Script:
My novel, What The Valley Knows,Ā is available now! Woohoo! Find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Black Rose Writing! I’m super excited because my book just won YA National Indie Excellence Awards!
xoxo, Heather
Ā
“This sensational novel is a moving, poignant story.”Ā
Absolutely great. I look forward to these days of when you share your thoughts. Can’t wait for your book.
Thanks, Fay! You’ve made my day!
Love it, always makes my Sunday!
Thanks, Cari!
So great to wake up to such inspirational words on a Sunday morning. Your book is going to feel amazing when I physically hold it and show it off to everyone saying, “I know the author!”
Thank you, Lisa! You’re an inspiration, too!
Words to live by Heather, thanks for the reminder. It is so easy to get caught up in the everyday negative vibe of our world today!
I need to share your writing with my younest daughter, I know she will enjoy it as she loves to write also. Keep up the great work!
Thanks, Karen! It’s so easy to focus on all the negative stuff in the world, but I prefer to look for the light!
I really enjoyed reading this! While you are at the “return-to-me” phase…I began my “it’s not about me any more” phase 11months ago when I had my first baby! Your idioms may sicken your children but as a 33 year old- they are just what I needed to hear this morning. š “Always be kinder than necessary,” is a quote I read in a book called Wonder by RJ Palacio. I love it and try to live it. As a teacher and realtor with a passion for literacy and writing, as well, you are really inspiring. I always thoroughly enjoy reading your blog posts! Congratulations on your book! I’ll be reading it for sure!
Thank you, Julia! Your kind words have made my day!
Delighted to hear that your book is being published! So happy to hear that you are living your dream. Wishes can come true, huh?!
Thanks, Joanne! I like to believe dreams come true…I’ve found that a lot of hard work helps!
You sound absolutely terrific! Practicing what you preach shows in the way you live your life.
This week my daughter was overwhelmed with a sick puppy (not much after her old pup died) and fraught with decisions plus the huge cost this would be. I told her that ‘just for now’, let’s ‘do one thing’–Make the appointment. The puppy is now home with a long recuperation phase. Things will fall into place.
Your hard work shows!
Thanks, Geri! I am so glad to hear your daughter’s puppy is okay!
When I saw the title, I flashed back to when we were in high school and ran into each other there. Your mom with you, persuing your dreams and me with my mom, persuing hers. Congratulations on finding your dream!
Thanks, Jenn! The good old days! New York feels so anonymous that it’s tremendous fun to run into a familiar face in a sea of so many. Thanks for reading!
Your piece today is full of joy and energy and wisdom, delightful to read!
Heather, I am so excited for you about your book!
Thank you, Carol! I am excited š
Love them all but guess my fave is “This too shall pass” – I would like to add a favorite of mine “It is what it is” when I feel I cannot change something. And am forever telling my husband.
Love it šYes, “It is what it is,” is a great truth!
Heather,
I enjoyed this post–I too have made that mad dash in the Port Authority to Gate 19—just as the door was closing and there was 1 seat left!
I am sitting here at RACC 5 floors above your mother’s office in the Writing Center. She gave me a second chance (or an alternative chance as I made my way through a sabbatical), so I appreciate her and your words as well.
I look forward to reading your book and sharing it with my 9th grade students.
Thank you, Stephanie. I would be thrilled to visit your 9th grade class to discuss the book.
Love this Blog- Great sayings to live by- Can’t wait to read your book! Enjoy your day.
Thanks, Denise!
So happy to hear about your book!!! What an exciting time in your life and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer or more deserving person. I wish you much enjoyment as you enter this new chapter in your life.
Thank you, Dawn! It’s been a long journey!