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A Rookie Mistake

You guys – I can’t believe I did this. I’m so embarrassed. How can I describe myself as an avid and voracious reader and then pull a stunt like this?! Seriously, what was I thinking? I left my house without a book, a Kindle, or my earbuds to listen to something on Audible. And there I was at my son’s swim meet during a rain delay with nothing to read.

I know. I know. I’m just as shocked as you are. It was just last night that I picked up Katy Tur’s brand new memoir, Rough Draft. I waited in line for almost an hour for her to sign it. When I got home, I placed the book on my nightstand so that I would read it before bedtime. That’s where I went wrong. I took the book out of the car and brought it into the house, leaving me with no reading material whatsoever.

This is such a rookie mistake for me. I ALWAYS bring something to read. I’m never without an emergency page-turner in my drawstring bag. And in a real pinch, I can usually rely on an old magazine in the back seat of my car that I can dust off and catch up on the latest gossip. I dug around the seat cushions, underneath the seats, and even checked the trunk to no avail.

I was lost. I had free time and nothing to read. My heart was in my stomach, and a cold chill ran down my back.* I’m not used to feeling this empty inside. I quickly turned to my iPhone and opened the New York Times app for today’s news. This was the perfect time to catch up on some articles until the meet resumed. But then I realized I had another problem – I forgot my reading glasses at home too.

UGH! Now, what was I going to do? Talk to my husband? I supposed we could have engaged in a little light conversation. Sadly, he was entertaining himself with endless Facebook Reels. When he showed me a clip of a dog licking a sign advertising ice cream cones, I knew we weren’t on the same page. (Thank you – I’ll be here all night!)

I’m happy to say that I survived. I took out my contacts to read the small print on my phone screen. I eeked out two articles before I decided to close my eyes and listen to the radio. I’ve learned my lesson, although I thought I had already learned it during the long car ride to Grandmom’s house in the summer of ’87. That was a rough night. I don’t like to talk about it much.

Now, if you will excuse me, I must prepare my drawstring bag with two (maybe three) books, a few magazines, and my reading glasses. Next time, I won’t leave home without it.

*Okay, some descriptions in this blog post were embellished for dramatic effect. 🙂 

bookshelf

Look at all of the books I could have been reading!

Book Signings

I’ve pictured myself attending my own book signing. I imagine sitting behind the table with a few hundred copies of y book in front of me and my favorite fountain pen at the ready, to sign the title pages of all the books sold. There’s a line of people waiting for their turn to say hello and let me know how my book resonated with them. At the end of the night, I feel satisfied knowing that I have produced something that will outlast me and help people for generations to come.

But, since I haven’t finished my memoir yet (only 25K-30K words to go!), I attend author events. I love listening to writers talk about their book and their creative process. Each person has their own story to tell, and I always come away learning something new.

A few weeks ago, I participated in a workshop centered around the book “The Gift from the Sea” by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Sadly, Mrs. Lindbergh couldn’t make it. She passed away more than two decades ago, but her book stands the test of time. A colleague gave me the book as a gift, and it took me years to truly appreciate its collection of essays about how to be a woman. Even though she wrote the book more than 50 years ago, her wisdom resonates as much today as it was first published. This book is one of the few I read repeatedly and has a permanent place on my nightstand.

Tonight, I’m adding another book to my nightstand – Rough Draft by MSNBC host Katy Tur. I’ve watched and enjoyed her show for many years. Her coverage of the Trump administration was must-see-tv, and her memoir about that experience is supposed to be excellent. Her new memoir is more personal, and I received a signed copy at her book talk tonight.

Being in a room of like-minded and politically aligned people is also nice. As much as I enjoyed the author portion of the program, the Q&A afterward made me realize I’m not the only person disturbed and saddened by the state of our democracy.

But I digress… author events are a terrific way to spend an evening with friends. I’m grateful to have people in my life who enjoy them as much as I do. And now, I need to start looking for the next one to attend.

Do you attend book signings? What do you like about them?

From Camp to College

One of the best things I ever did for my kids was to send them to overnight camp. For a few years, they spent four weeks away from home amongst friends enjoying the outdoors, developing their connection to Judaism, and navigating daily life without us being there to intervene.

Having never been to an overnight camp as a child, I didn’t know what to expect for my kids. Friends who had that experience in their youth remember it fondly and strongly encouraged me to send them. I remember wondering how I could entrust my children’s lives to complete strangers who were paid to look out for them. But, as I learned more about the camp from other parents and the people working there, I realized it was a special place.

The first year I sent Jenna to camp, I marveled at her self-sufficiency when she came home. She made her bed and brushed her teeth without being asked, which was a miracle in itself. The following summer, she returned and built upon her good habits while pushing herself to try new things. Four weeks later, we picked her up, and she told us she was becoming a vegetarian because she didn’t want animals to suffer so that she could eat. I thought it was a passing phase, but she kept it up for the next three years. The summer after that, Andrew joined her at camp. In addition to their good habits and adventures, they came home with a stronger sibling bond than before (as seen in the photo above from several summers ago).

Those four weeks also allowed me and my husband to spend quality time together. We went to outdoor concerts, saw a few shows, ate at fancier and less kid-friendly restaurants, and one year even escaped to Punta Cana for a week. We reminded ourselves how much we still enjoy each other’s company sans the children.

Over the last two weeks, we had another practice run of the empty nester life. With one kid living away this summer and the other at Philmont Scouting Ranch in New Mexico, we were alone again, but together. And, I’m happy to say we made the most of it!

As I think back to those summers when we dropped off our kids at camp, I realize they were a precursor for what will happen in a few short weeks. We were practicing to become empty nesters. The only difference is that this time they will be away for a lot longer. But, they will be back often with laundry in tow and stories to tell. It will be a different dynamic for our family, but I’m thankful those summer camp experiences prepared us for the next chapter.

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