Maile and I have been taking turns sleeping with Abra at night. The high pollen count here in the outskirts of Nashville have been keeping her up at night, coughing and itching, so one of us sleeps with her in a separate room where she won’t wake everyone up, and the other gets a good night sleep. One night off, one night on.
Tonight is my night for a good night’s sleep, so I’m keeping it brief.
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I can already see the grins creeping on to the faces of two of my writer friends, Kristin Tennant and Jennifer Luitwieler. Some time ago the three of us each wrote a post about community – I was the bah-humbug of the group, the grumpy old troll who lives under the bridge. In other words, they talked about the virtues of community, while I mostly slobbered and scratched myself and talked about how wonderful it is to be a writer because I don’t have to talk to anyone else.
So why are their eyes lighting up? Because today I have to admit that they were right. I was (mostly) wrong.
You folks – the ones that read this blog, as well as my fellow writers out there – came through for me in a big way this week. You helped spread the word about my book, and I couldn’t be more pleased with how things have gone in the first 48 hours of its official existence.
Nearly 30 reviews by fellow bloggers.
More Facebook messages and Tweets than I can count.
Even three copies sold in England.
Without all of you, the book would be dying a quick death on the virtual shelves of the E-book world.
So thank you, you great big blob of a community. Thank you for your emails of appreciation for the book, the more than generous posts and reviews, and the words of encouragement. You all made Tuesday a fun and special day for me, and I appreciate it.
So I’ll keep writing if you all keep reading.
Community.
Who knew?
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If you still haven’t bought a copy of my new E-book, you can read ten reasons why you should buy it HERE, or read a summary with links to buy it HERE. Please keep spreading the word! I can’t do it without you!
1 – Pollen is awful. It is currently covering my house and my cars. I feel like there is a spiritual anaolgy that could be made here about what God is teaching me through pollen, but I don’t make spiritual analogies before 9am.
2 – You’re welcome. I’m glad to have been any part of the “jolt” given to your book. I hope it continues to gain traction, and I will do what I can to help that process.
3 – You should always have at least three items to address if you’re going to have a numbered list.
Thanks for restraining from posting an incomplete list.
And I don’t know why that was in italics.
Yeah, people are kind of awesome.
So glad to hear that the book is doing well! Congratulations – it’s well deserved!
Thanks, Alise! Can’t wait until our trip has us in West Virginia.
Whoot!
Congrats on the success!
And to be a part of a community that doesn’t say “I told you so…”—that’s truly special! :)
I’m so glad we can all find our way and learn together.
Truly.
Here’s the kicker: you wrote the book in relative solitude (even though I would argue we were teeming around you in your head) and you released it to the world through community. Could it be we are ALL right?
So glad to see successes for you. And have you tried the saline nasal rinse for Abra? One of our kids had to start doing it at age 3. Now I do it daily to stave off sinus headaches and allergies. BTW: allergens in OK are REALLY high. Hang in there little one.
Thanks for the tip. We might have to give it a try.
I may have said this when you wrote about community but i’m not sure. An introvert can appreciate community without always being around people. You have most definitely found an online community which has I think allowed many introverts to enjoy community on their terms instead of the immediacy of extroverted interaction. I don’t think you have ever been against community. Everything you write about screams community. Community doesn’t necessarily have to mean “be around people a lot”. I think it has more to do with sharing one’s life with others and relying on them for support. You most definitely do and have that.
So in my eyes, you’re not wrong. : )
Good points about community, J. And I always like when my friends prove me right, even in a roundabout kind of way.
You remind me of something my uncle often says: you’re not an introvert or an extrovert based on how much you enjoy solitude or the presence of other people – you’re an introvert or an extrovert based on which energizes you. I don’t know. I’ve always found that to be an interesting thought.
yes, that’s very true. introverts are not necessarily anti people or groups, although sometimes that might be the way it manifests itself, but yes, it is more about where you re-energize. one person might need to come home from a stressful day and talk out their feelings in order to process and re-energize, while another might need to be alone and away from others in order to process the day and their feelings before sharing them. these are also oversimplifications but accurate to some degree. the whole introvert/extrovert thing needs to be seen more on a continuum not so much an either/or.
It’s great to find an expert who can exalipn things so well
Haha! Love it! Glad to see word is spreading so well.
Thanks, Leigh!
So, you don’t know me but I’ve become a reader of your blog and just purchased your e-book last night (your community has expanded!). Apparently I’ve some distant connection to you…my grandparents (Amy and Richard Rasmussen) know a cousin, friend, or some such person who knows you. Definitely a small world…
Anyway, I’m an English major/writing minor so they thought I’d like your blog. And I just wanted to let you know that I’ve really been enjoying your work.
Thanks for being courageous and writing.
Thanks for following along, Rachel. Where do you go to school?
Keep writing!
I’m attending Madonna University. It’s a smaller Christian school in Michigan so I’m not sure if you would’ve heard of it. In about two years I’ll be out of there and trying to build my own life out of words! It’s nice to see that it can actually happen…