Live from New York

Well, I am here and I have done it. I have taped the show and I have braved the wilds of New York to go have dinner last night in Grand Central Station with one of my favorite bloggers, Suzy.

Let me repeat this amazing news. I am in New York, where I taped an appearance that will soon be televised nationally, and I had dinner at The Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station with a woman whose heart and soul I encountered on the internet.

When I was a child growing up in the absolute middle of nowhere in the Ozark Mountains of southern Missouri, the odds against my being able to write that last sentence were incalcuable. Twenty zillion to one, at the very least. Yet, here I am.

This morning I am filled with gratitude.

To Suzy, whose courage inspires me, whose humanity humbles me, whose sheer guts stop me in my tracks, over and over. I find myself driven to try to write better, to live more fully, to love more deeply because of her stories and her life.

To Shirley Piland, my late, great high school journalism teacher, who believed in me and my writing long before anyone else. Mrs. Piland gave me the foundation of knowledge upon which my writing career has been built. She also gave me the enormous gift of her faith in me.

To Dee Ready, my first editor and boss in the world of publishing, who taught me most of what I know about writing and editing. Dee's work and her life are a shining example of what humans can do and achieve when they are motivated by love and faith in humanity.

To Bryan Trandem, the editor who gave a scared but audacious woman a shot at writing books and then taught her how to do it. In the years since, Bryan has become a brother to me, and much of my ability to remain semi-sane through the chaos of my life has come through him. Our marathon talk sessions are among the delights of my life, and I've learned more about myself and my Self from B than I can express.

To my mom and dad, who send me out into the world wrapped in the armor of their love.

To That Which Is, for leading me to these people.

Namaste, dear readers. Namaste.