197. Tilly, Georgia and David

On Friday afternoon, we were sitting outside in the cooler air with Evan and Tilly, two children that Maureen looks after three days each week.

“You’ve written a book Kevin, haven’t you,” said Tilly, in her quiet, knowledgeable, 10-year-old manner.

“Yes, it’s called ‘Out of Essex’, and your family has a copy.”

“Mm.”

The ensuing silence pretty much guaranteed I would add more.

“I had 50 copies printed for friends and family……But you can’t buy it.”

“Mm.”

“I suppose I could have published it as an e-book, for kindle……But I didn’t get enough feedback that encouraged me. So I’m not sure if it would be worth all the trouble.”

“Mm.”

Maureen said later that the book had been left on a settee in Tilly’s house. My wife has witch senses working for her. “Are we being told something,” she asked me.

Yesterday I spent a few hours reading it again. It needs work, but grabbed me time and time again. I say that with humility.

This morning it turned out we have both been thinking the same thing. That I begin rewriting it, during the remaining summer downtime. And blog some chapters. See how it feels.

With the summer heat in abeyance, my writing fingers are twitching. Maureen showed me a quote from artist Georgia O’Keefe this morning. “I have already settled it for myself, so flattery and criticism go down the same drain and I am quite free.”

That resonated.

Some other things are falling into place. The last four Sunday mornings we have attended a Hanmi Buddhist meditation near my dad’s house in Brentwood. For both of us, each session has improved on its predecessor. It was a full house this morning, 25 bums on seats. There is a magic in the 40 minutes that words cannot capture.

And I have kept my (David Lynch-inspired) promise to try out transcendental meditation. A weekend course starts this coming Friday. Looking forward to that.