Community: To Cheer or to Covet, Redux

Posted

It’s funny.
Last week after I posted about art and envy, I second guessed myself. 

I thought, nobody’s going to relate to this and I will have exposed myself as a singular
and pathetic yearner-for-more.

I thought, maybe I oughta go back to my gratitude posts and stay there.

I thought, maybe I oughta choose a pseudonym.

But then ya’ll stopped by. 

And it turns out every last one of us thinks about how we receive news of our own successes and each other’s. 
It turns out we all have various spiritual and psychological veins we tap when times are tough.
It turns out that we’ve all compared ourselves to others, gotten antsy, or rolled our eyes at overnight success.
It turns out there have been an awful lot of “why not me” moments in our humble pasts.

But it turns out that very few of those “why not me” moments translate into “why her (or him)” moments.

It turns out we relish and wallow in and cheer and welcome the success of our compatriots.
It turns out we believe there is space enough for all of our books on the bookshelves.
It turns out we are pretty good at going back into ourselves and our own work with compassion and determination.
It turns out we’re mostly patient (on the days we’re not impatient) and mostly industrious and dedicated (on the days we’re not flailing about) and mostly open to inspiration — in the world and from each other.

I am comforted, no end, by this affirmation of community.
My desk is not an isolated island. Neither is yours.
There are bridges and boats and messages in bottles between us.

I am here, working, but I don’t mind a little distraction now and then.
So, when you get a chance, send good news…

22 Responses to “Community: To Cheer or to Covet, Redux”

  1. saralholmes

    It turns out you’re a fabulously brave and kind person. And that your writing connects to readers so directly that they want to respond with honesty and kindness of their own. (But then, I knew that.)

  2. Anonymous

    yes.

    Amy S:

    I do enjoy your gratitude posts, but your posts on your warts and struggles are just as lovely. Stories about how stories are born are so cool. I adore the story about the current Newbery; how it came from a passionate instructor who wanted to give every kid a good part as they learned some history. And I still have this wonderful image in my mind of the magical white-haired librarian in a tiara who celebrated her great success with a read aloud for her second graders.

  3. Anonymous

    Amen to the above comment! The wart-y posts remind us that we’re all human and that no one is perfect.

    I am not an author, but I would think that such online communities would be a godsend so that you’re not working on that island. Even as a blogger (who isn’t an author), it’s great. When I started blogging, my youngest was but a wee babe. When you’re at home with wee babes all day, it’s so great to connect honestly and passionately with other online folks (adults!) about literature. Hurray for you all!

    Jules, 7-Imp

    • liz_scanlon

      Maybe that can be one of my headers from now on: Warty Post.

      Hurray, hurray for warty posts being received and accepted. How lucky we all are…

  6. liz_scanlon

    And what a race it is. Thanks, Robin, for chiming in with support. We are all so dang lucky I can hardly stand it…