| Writing Journey #7 |
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Well, something wonderful has happened. On the weekend of 2/19/05 - 2/20/05, I attended the SC Book Festival in Columbia. Vickie and Ben went with me on Saturday and Jamie went with me on Sunday. On Saturday I did 3 readings from “Glimpses” and signed and sold some books. I also met a lot of neat people. I was at the Booksurge Desk and the people there were wonderfully supportive. I also got to drop many tracts. We left some books there to be given away and left for Charlotte and Jamie’s graduation from John Casablanca’s. Jamie came over that night and the next morning after church he went back to Columbia with me. There had been another slot open and I was hoping to do another reading, but the schedule ran behind and the slot closed. I did meet some cool people, though, including Jonathan Brown, the poet and senior at the College of Charleston. Booksurge gave me a slot at 4:15pm, but there was an Open Mike poetry meeting at 4:00pm and we wanted to do that instead. Our poems were well received (I did “Most Precious Gems” and Jamie did “Life is Like…”) and the fact that we were father and son was well received also. I sold a few books and gave away some tracts. It was a good time for Jamie and I. The following Thursday night, 2/24/05, he and I attended a Poetry Slam at the C. of C. hosted by Jonathan Brown. We also attended another reading there by a famous poet that happened before the Slam. It was another good experience for the both of us. The main benefit for me was that I finally (once again) put on the mantle of writer/poet. I think that I received it back in May of ’03, but I never really wore it until now. It’s out of place at the mill and is apparently out of place at the church. Maybe, being at those two places so much of the time, I wasn’t sure the mantle was mine. (Like extra money in your checking account that you can’t account for – you hate to spend it until you’re sure it’s yours.) But I’m sure now and I’m happy to wear it. I’ve found that being around a literary community reassures me that the mantle is truly mine. I’m also writing again. And I’m at peace at work and at church. There may be a ministry opportunity here, as well. In the secular arts community, many have never heard the Gospel. I can accept their work and it seems that they can accept mine – even though we may not agree in content. And as I minister Christ’s love among them, perhaps I can win some. I am excited about it. They are beautiful people in all their variety and I feel at home among them. Thank you, Lord, for that! – 2/25/05 |
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