Have you seen, BLAZING SADDLES? Remember the scene where Madeline Kahn is on stage singing to all the men folk gathered in the saloon?
"Here I stand, the goddess of desire / Set men on fire / I have this power. / Morning, noon, and night, it's dwink and dancing / Some quick womancing / And then a shower. / Stage door Johnnies constantly suwwound me / They always hound me, with one wequest. / Who can satisfy their lustful habits? / I'm not a wabbit. / I need some west... I’m tired. So tired!”
Let me put my own spin on this, minus the risqué attire. I’m tired.
"Let's face it. Evewything below the waist... is kaput!"
What am I tired of? I’m tired of the bickering that goes on around us. I’m tired of people speeding past me in the mornings, moving recklessly back and forth across lanes of traffic. I’m tired of my favorite television shows going on hiatus, leaving me with ‘Who killed JR’ to drive me mad when I go to sleep. I’m tired of having to wait, wait, wait… for my favorite author’s new book or that long awaited movie to come out at the theatre. I’m tired of muscles that rebel and a brain that limits thought. (Cue Zombie march and Michael Jackson’s THRILLER …)
Now that I’ve got your attention— I want you to know, I'm tired!
As a writer, I’m tired of seeing bookstores fold. Publishing houses, long revered, are closing or being incorporated by other houses. Rumors abound that e-books will demolish books in print. Chains of long-founded stores have closed their doors. Workers are getting laid off. Banks have gone under. The housing market has plummeted and I’m tired of waiting for someone to put a stop to this downward slope.
Am I turning into my grandmother? Is there some sort of generational gap that infiltrates a human being’s brain like an irreversible plague the older a person gets, finally exploding and causing total breakdown of the adjustment process? I’m tired just considering the ramifications.
"I'm finished. Fertig! Verfallen! Verlumpt! Verblunget! Verkackt!"
I’ve been dealing with some issues at work the past few weeks that are making me frazzled. Honestly, I’d rather be at home dealing with my own drama than having to sort through everybody else’s. Can’t we all just get along? Hey, I could be writing… but I'm tired.
Life does have a way of dealing out a strong or weak hand on any given day, doesn’t it? But I'd rather be the one calling the shots in front of my computer, creating conflict for my characters and leading them into an HEA that will be remembered for all time. ;)
What I need is one of those energy boost drinks to help me do it. Can I upsize to ‘duration lasts a lifetime’? Wouldn’t that be grand?
Life is a forest. Whether your tree is in a meadow or in a copse, you and I must learn how to bend when storms challenge the strength of our limbs. Each and every one of us must have a firm grasp on the seeds which have the potential to blossom into rosy futures. How we plant those seeds, where we plant them, what fertilizer we invest in, depends upon our mind-set, not upon the direction the wind blows or those who might stomp our seedlings down behind us. For when it comes to success, we cannot let fatigue, or temperment, hamper the dreams that inhabit our hearts. Success is a matter of the heart. It begins within like the root sprouting from a seed.
Are you tired? What are you tired of? And what do you think could lighten your load, especially leading into the holiday season?
As an aside, I’d like to give a shout out to Katharine Ashe, our previous guest blogger. Her book, SWEPT AWAY BY A KISS, has been nominated for the Best First Historical category by the Romantic Times.
I too am tired -- tired of people not stepping up to the plate and taking responsibility for their actions. Blame others but never yourself. I'm tired of people complaining to me about things I have no interest in or control over. I cannot fix their problems - those belong to them. But...I am hopeful. Perhaps everyone is just having a bad time. Perhaps...
ReplyDeleteI am taking a mini vacation next week to rest before the Holidays. I hope to rejuvenate and meet life with optimism. There are still people around who do what is right and who face their own problems, especially my friends here under the tulip tree. I find respite in their presence and that is what keeps me going. Good friends are a blessing and that keeps me hopeful that life is, in fact, worth all the problems.
Kathy,
ReplyDeletethanks for a thought provoking post! I think this is a problem that many of us struggle with. I am sorry you are so tired but strangely glad that I am not alone in the Land of Tired.
I don't know what will help us but I know that for me I am learning to tell folks, "I am sorry I would love to help with that but my plate is full right now. Could you check with me next year?" I am not saying that I manage this every time I am asked to help with something but I am trying which is better than I have done in the past. :-)
I am also clinging, clinging, clinging to the hope that after Dec. 11 when I am finished with graduate school that some of my time will free up.
Hang in there,
Stephanie
I'm tired of waiting. That's all. Just tired of waiting. And waiting. And waiting. Okay, so I'm a little tired of marketing too. I wish I didn't feel the push and the urgency and the pressure to market my book, because I'd really rather be writing.
ReplyDeleteBut back to waiting. I'm waiting on a lot of things, but I guess the biggest thing I'm waiting on is to hear back about two of my books. One has been with a certain publisher for over a year, the other has been at "my" publisher for almost a year. That's a long time to wait, sister! I feel like all I do is wait, because I sure haven't been doing any writing!
I'm tired of having contractor/worker people in my house. Week 15 and still not done. At least the carpet should be going in soon. Can't happen too soon for me.
ReplyDeleteI'm tired of having to put my writing career on hold to take care of all the other stuff in life. Yeah, you've caught me on a particularly bad day. Sorry about that.
I'm tired of not being able to make it to HOD meetings to see my writer friends and celebrate successes with them and draw strength to keep forging ahead on my own path to publication.
Sorry about all that, but it's nice to get it off my chest. Now I can go to my meeting in a little better frame of mind.
I'm really, REALLY looking forward to Christmas!
I'm tired of a lot of things too, but this morning I read on CNN that an 11 yr old Broadway singer died of leukemia -- and I figure my problems aren't so bad after all.
ReplyDeleteNot that we shouldn't get upset and complain and allow ourselves to feel frazzled -- of course we should! But at the end of the day, I figured the things I'm tired of are things that aren't a danger to me really. I can deal with it, even if I feel crazy doing so.
But what am I tired of? Right now, I'm tired of trying to figure out this book and knowing it's coming due soon. I'm tired of people thinking things are supposed to change overnight. I'm tired of the blame game. I'm tired of idiots with no sense thinking they have a right to shove their idiot agenda down my throat. I'm tired of this stupid cat trying my patience as he blissfully knocks over the knick knacks again.
(Setting down computer to go jerk knot in cat's behind....)
Cheryl, I agree with you. Good friends are a blessing and help you get through frustrating times. Hang in there, my friend. I know you're tired of not being able to use your hand. Rest up and use this break to rejuvenate yourself. ;)
ReplyDeleteStephanie, it's hard not say 'yes' to every request, isn't it? I've dealt with my share of that. I'm getting better though, but the guilt still follows me around.
You're a talented woman! That's why the requests are coming in. Empowering yourself by taking care of your needs first is sometimes the only thing we can do when our time is limited. And your time is being used wisely as you chase your dreams and cling to the hope of finishing your degree.
Melanie, waiting is hard. My gosh! You've been waiting a very long time. My book has been caught up in an almost two year process of waiting. I keep hoping I'll hear good news soon. When doubts continue to plague me, even as I try to grasp onto hope. Hope is all we have when the waiting is endless. But, my book and your books are like seeds fermenting in a dish. Soon they will be ready for real soil. And when they are, I'll be cheering for your sprouts. ;)
Crystal, I know you missed decorating for Halloween. All you can do at this point is look forward to the wonderful shangrila you will be able to create when you decorate for Christmas. ;)
ReplyDeleteAs for writing and communing with friends. That is one of the wonderful things the Internet has done for us. We can stay in cyber touch until you are finally able to venture out. And, as always, your friends are just a 'send' away. Hang in there!
Lynn, you've managed to put things in perspective for me today. There will always be someone else who's worse off than we are. That's what society is missing these days, empathy.
Agendas! It seems like everyone has one, doesn't it? Perhaps now we won't be inundated with telephone calls and commercials.
Good luck with your WIP. I know it will turn out just as great as your other books. Believe in your instincts. They have never let you down. :)
I haven't seen Blazing Saddles (I know, where have I been), but I loved her in Paper Moon, Young Frankenstein and The Cheap Detective.
ReplyDeleteI too am tired of waiting and tired of people who don't accept responsibility for their actions and the collateral damage from them.
I have no idea what the holidays hold for me this year, but a couple of my girlfriends and I are trying to put together a trip to Callaway Gardens and then to Atlanta the weekend before Christmas. They're fun to travel with and we're all broke, so we really travel on the cheap. But it'll be a blast!
My verification word is "garmu" which sounds like Garmin. I use the old-fashioned kind -- a road map. LOL
Oh! PM, you must watch Blazzing Saddles. She was great in this one and it's a barrel of laughs. ;)
ReplyDeleteI know you've had a very rough year, bending but not breaking, thank God. I'm sure it seems like your life has been put on hold for so long. Hang in there!
The trip you're planning sounds just like the thing. I bet you'll have a great time getting away for a while.
I don't really think it's okay for me to put most what I'm tired of on the World Wide Web but here's a little.
ReplyDeleteI am tired of having Boise State crammed down my throat. I'm tired of people who think it's all about them. I'm tired of cleaning up after people.
I'm tired of lots of things. At the top of my list: A lack of real live adult conversation, creeping along towards my writing goal when I'd rather be sprinting, and any human being with a smug sense of superiority.
ReplyDeleteI'm personally convinced I could be completely refreshed and rejuvenated if it were legal to haul off and slap that last thing on my list. :D
~Angela Blount
I am tired of not having enough time to get everything done. Of course, watching Supernatural dvds is not helping any! LOL
ReplyDeleteJean, I held back too. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining. I am. Some days it's okay to admit you're tired and you can't take it anymore though. ;)
ReplyDeleteRedPeril, I've been in your shoes. It's hard when conversation is limited to an infant or toddler. Not to worry. You'll change your tune when your little one talks your ear off. LOL!
Patricia, thanks for posting! I must say we are soulmates! I have Supernatural on DVD too. I need to get season 5 but I'm waiting for the price to go down a bit. Isn't that show fabo?
Aw! So tired, I am. Tired of a certain cat who will not use the liter box. Said cat is going to the vet right now...
I love Supernatural too!!! That makes me feel better.
ReplyDeleteAnd Jean I am also very very very tired of Boise State and Oregon!!!! Tell 'em to come on down to the SEC and find out what a schedule is!
Red Peril, I think we should all get a dispensation for jack slapping superior-acting people.
Yeah, what's with Oregon? They played USC, a team that sucks and is under investigation/rules violation, and now they are #1? USC wasn't even ranked. Come on... :P
ReplyDeleteKatherine, I love the way you write. It's beautiful and evocative and emotional, even when it's about being tired!
ReplyDeleteI'm tired of having too much to do but not wanting to give up anything. This might be cured with therapy, or possibly a good swift kick in the pants. ;) Mostly, though, I'm tired of injustice and unkindness. I'll never get it why people cannot all treat one another as equals, with respect and compassion, and it makes me weep. So I try to fill my romances with characters who do treat others as equals--regardless of skin color or religion or mode of life--and when I'm writing it feels like a mini-holiday. :)
Btw, my son (home sick today) is very happy with your Thriller mention above. I love Madeline Kahn in BS, and especially in History of the World, Part I ("No no no no no, yes yes, yes yes...")
Thank you for your lovely shout out today. You're so kind!!
:) Katharine
I'm tired because DFC is waking me up on the hour from 2:30A-5:30A to be fed and loved. I love her, but I'm tired of worrying for her health. I'm tired of revising. I'm tired of only having one day a month to see people from HOD. Wish it could be just for a coffee or a quick glass of wine where we decompress without all the business stuff going on.
ReplyDeleteI'm tired, but I'm not going to give up. And now back to my bat cave.
What a wonderful compliment about my writing, Katharine! Thank you! I needed that today. :D
ReplyDeleteMy heart aches for so many different reasons these days. Maybe that's why you, (besides being an historical wiz) and I like to write historicals. We want to write about (live in) days of gentility and honor.
Tell your son I said, thanks! Woo-hoo! And the shout out was my pleasure. :D
Christine, never give up. I wear a silver cuff bracelet that quotes Winston Churchill, "Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never give up!!" to remind me to always keep on trucking on. We'll get there, even if we have to drag ourselves. ;)