Just because the word change has six letters in it doesn't mean a thing. For many of us, it's the worst curse word of all. I've been seeing a lot of it lately, in the book world, the nursing world, and on the home front.
First off, I'm starting book eight in The Cat Star Chronicles, and for the first time ever, I actually have a synopsis to go by. This doesn't necessarily mean that I will follow it to the letter, but I do have some idea of where it's going. I also came up with a title and a premise for book nine, but the plot remains a mystery. All I have is this image of a Zetithian with long black hair on a big, black horse. . . and nothing else. No clothes, no bridle, no saddle--you get the idea. I don't know about you, but just watching him ride in and then ride off into the sunset would be enough for me. Not enough for our dear editor, of course, but it's a place to start.
Major changes have also been happening at the hospital where I have worked for the past twenty years. We were bought by one of the biggest health care systems in the country, but things have not gone smoothly. The best I can say about it is that I've been off for about two weeks, and ignorance, at least in this case, is truly bliss.
On the home front, my eldest son, Mike, is heading back to Purdue to start graduate school next weekend. Just when I get used to having him around, he's gone again.
I could go on, but why bother? The real challenge is to figure out how to deal with it. I'm the first to admit that I haven't always handled it well, but lately I've reached a somewhat fatalistic stage where I realize that change will occur whether I like it or not, and there's not a whole helluva lot I can do about it.
Perhaps the change in me has occurred as a result of all the changes in the world around me. I've reached a point where the only thing I can do is accept it. I don't have to like it--though it would be nice if I did--but I'm not going to waste energy trying to fight it. I still put in my two cents worth, so I can't say I just rolled over and played dead, but the mental stress doesn't do me or anyone else any good, so why succumb to it?
There are those who love having drama in their lives and feel lost without it. I'm not one of those people. I only want things to flow smoothly and don't go looking for trouble. I leave that to my characters!
But, of course, there are some times when change is a VERY good thing!
First off, I'm starting book eight in The Cat Star Chronicles, and for the first time ever, I actually have a synopsis to go by. This doesn't necessarily mean that I will follow it to the letter, but I do have some idea of where it's going. I also came up with a title and a premise for book nine, but the plot remains a mystery. All I have is this image of a Zetithian with long black hair on a big, black horse. . . and nothing else. No clothes, no bridle, no saddle--you get the idea. I don't know about you, but just watching him ride in and then ride off into the sunset would be enough for me. Not enough for our dear editor, of course, but it's a place to start.
Major changes have also been happening at the hospital where I have worked for the past twenty years. We were bought by one of the biggest health care systems in the country, but things have not gone smoothly. The best I can say about it is that I've been off for about two weeks, and ignorance, at least in this case, is truly bliss.
On the home front, my eldest son, Mike, is heading back to Purdue to start graduate school next weekend. Just when I get used to having him around, he's gone again.
I could go on, but why bother? The real challenge is to figure out how to deal with it. I'm the first to admit that I haven't always handled it well, but lately I've reached a somewhat fatalistic stage where I realize that change will occur whether I like it or not, and there's not a whole helluva lot I can do about it.
Perhaps the change in me has occurred as a result of all the changes in the world around me. I've reached a point where the only thing I can do is accept it. I don't have to like it--though it would be nice if I did--but I'm not going to waste energy trying to fight it. I still put in my two cents worth, so I can't say I just rolled over and played dead, but the mental stress doesn't do me or anyone else any good, so why succumb to it?
There are those who love having drama in their lives and feel lost without it. I'm not one of those people. I only want things to flow smoothly and don't go looking for trouble. I leave that to my characters!
But, of course, there are some times when change is a VERY good thing!
I can feel your pain, Cheryl! Our library branch is moving and we're going to have some major changes in personnel and ways of doing things. We've been a really great cohesive group, so it's not something I look forward to! Plus I just had to have a fractured molar extracted, so 8 months until I have an implant and crown, so I'll have to deal with that too. argh. I hate teeth problems!!!
ReplyDeleteYes, we're a family at my hospital, too, Terry. It's going to be very sad when that has to change.
ReplyDelete.....long black hair on a big, black horse. . . and nothing else. No clothes, no bridle, no saddle.....
ReplyDeleteMmmm. Mmmm. Mmmmmm.
Sorry, I lost my train of thought. What was the topic? Oh yeah, change. I thrive on good changes of my choosing (new job, new home, new hair cut, etc), but when unwanted changes are pressed on me that requires chocolate. LARGE quantities of dark, dark chocolate.
Hooray for new books on the store shelf!
Change is a Pain in the Butt. But inevitable. I hate changes and pains of any kind. As they say: "You need to roll with the punches". My TC use to say: "It is what it is!" I say:
ReplyDelete"Put on your Big girl Panties, and deal"
By the way Cheryl "Change" has 6 letters. LOL!!!
but if you want to call it a four letter word fine. The other two letters our danglers.
I think it is the changes we didn't choose--like your hospital being bought out--and the changes that we see as a loss that distress us.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you're having to go through this right now.
But on the subject of change, speaking as one pantser to another, good luck on making the storyline follow the synopsis! :-)
I too understand the pain of change. I work for a county government so no one is buying us out. But with cutbacks, my office is at almost half staff. Out of 4 of us 2 are left, and 1 is going on maternity leave in a couple of months. Ouch! She says she will return, but she also swore, two kids was enough! Sure!
ReplyDeleteChange is supposed to keep us young, I don't remember where I heard or read that, but they lied.
Miss Clarol, Calgon, where are you! Good luck with your changes Cheryl & Terry! I have faith we all can handle what is thrown at us. The one constant in out lives is family and blog friends. We'll be here.
Congrats on the release, Cheryl! It looks so pretty sitting there.
ReplyDeleteAs for book 9 - no clothes is always a good thing for Zenithians. :)
re: change - I've been through change enough (let's not discuss THE Change...) that I've just sort of let myself go along with the flow. It takes too much energy to fight the current and there are those who relish doing it. If it's not going to get me anywhere, my energy can be directed so many other places that will benefit me so much more.
I hear you Cheryl. I've never been into "drama" either and when I accidentally get around anybody who lives in it, I want to cut my head off and remove myself from said person as fast as possible. It screws with the zen state I like to live in:)
ReplyDeleteI get that "change" will always happen, and not necessarily to my liking, but like you basically said, we either roll with it or get rolled over. Changes in the work place NEVER go smoothly or well...someone is always impacted in a negative way. We're pawns to the bottom line of "The Man" and there's not a damn thing we can do about it. I only caught a break once...my fourth company lay-off during my 40+ working years was exactly what I wanted...to be severed WITH a package (thanks to my woman boss who liked me). It was time to retire and I screamed TYJ!
Sometimes I find it a bit scary because I can totally tune out everything that's happening in the world. When I'm doing my exercise walk I often think, because I haven't yet talked to anybody or turned on the TV, that life as I know it at that moment could be long gone and I'm oblivious of it. Scary in a way but also puts things in perspective...it really couldn't matter less when I allow myself to live in the moment.
Nothing wrong with this picture: "All I have is this image of a Zetithian with long black hair on a big, black horse. . . and nothing else." Yes indeedy, I'm seeing a bouncing yummydoodle....
@Jessica. You've got the right of it...we've been lied to about change keeping us young. We get older with every breath we take. Attitude, however, can make us feel as though time doesn't exist for a length of time and the age issue not even on the plate;)
See me smile. I'm starting HERO today.
@Terry. Just wanted you to know that I've bought my first book by you, Seduced by the Wolf. You've been on my TBB to try as a new-to-me author. Then too, some of the CBEB members thoroughly endorsed your work and they have a inkling of my taste. I will be holding on to it for awhile, however, as I really rather read your series in order. Sometime to look forward to:)
ReplyDeleteI understand all about change Cheryl. We've had managers and employees in and out at work and rules changing around. But like you said, it happens, so we can accept it (After we fight for what we want) and deal with it.
ReplyDeleteBTW Zetithian +horse riding + naked= Where do I sign up? :D
LOL! Sometimes my 85% cacao is the only thing that gets me through the night, Olivia. It's a sad day when I run out....
ReplyDeleteHa! I knew you'd get the "danglers" in there somewhere, Donna!
It probably won't follow it very closely, MM, but at least I have something to start of with.
I hear you on the cutbacks, Jessica. I really thought our hospital would grow now that we have better financial backing, but so far, all we've done is shrink. I just hope this trend doesn't continue.
I agree, Judi. It takes too much energy to fight, and half the time it doesn't do you a bit of good.
Nancy,
If I was handed a really good severance package right now, I'd take it in a heartbeat so I could write full-time, but so far, nobody is offering it. The worst part of losing my job would be the loss of contact with my friends. There are some that I'd probably never see again if I wasn't working there, and I would miss them something awful!
Great post, Cheryl! wrt the drama--I totally agree with you. Keep your drama in your books. In my life I want boring. Sameness. I had enough drama in my youth to last me a lifetime. Good luck to your son in his GS studies.
ReplyDeleteI hate change. I am the worst. I was even forced to read Who Moved My Cheese one year and hated the book. I have big changes on the horizon. Our house is up for sale, we're looking for a new house, and my little one is going to school 2 days a week this year. I wish I could enjoy all the new, exciting changes, but I just stress about them.
ReplyDeleteYes, excitement in one's life is highly overrated, Terrel. Even good things can be stressful.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to have a new house, Shana, but the thought of moving makes me feel positively ill. I think I'd like to just take my guitar and my computer and leave everything else behind and start over. It would be easier than trying to decide what to keep and what to throw away!
Hi Cheryl - I'm sorry I' m late in responding. I just got back from vacation.
ReplyDeleteI moved around a lot as a kid, ten different grade schools, moving approximately every 9 months or so. I was so used to change, if I was someplace more than two years, I was itching to leave.
When it comes to changes, like my daughter moving out, losing a loved one, a work family being torn apart, those are hard to handle. Still, there's not much we can do but to ride out the storm and learn to live with it. It's not easy...
I'm with Olivia - unwanted change requires vast quantities of dark chocolate.
Did you have to bring up hospitals and change? I have lived with that for over 25 years! It never gets better, as we know.
ReplyDeleteI like the visual quite a bit. Yes, indeed......
Robin,
ReplyDeleteWe only moved twice when I was a kid, and the second move was to the farm where we got to have horses, so that was one change I didn't complain about! We even moved there on my birthday.
Sharon,
I've been through a lot of hospital changes in my 30yr+ career, and, as you said, none of them have been good. The only thing I can say about this new entity that has come into our lives is that the pension plan is better.