Stewert James at Roast & Toast
So I’ve recently experienced the life of a writer in the hospital. Perhaps it was too many cocktail parties and too much food since December 1st, but I ended up in the hospital with premature ventricular contractions. Scary to say the least. During my two-day stay, I felt energized to write and did so – with emphasis! I actually put 4,000 words into the new book. My room was situated looking out over Little Traverse Bay, and in the tempest of a December storm, the froth of the blizzard was invigorating. Lucky for me the heart followed suit. I took my stress test and was found to “have excellent exercise capacity” and my heart “is in excellent shape.” I simply need to learn how to live with my PVC’s when they signal my body to reflect and reconnoiter. Even the least stressful life in the world can’t overcome too much fun. The other good news: The hospital’s heart healthy diet I was on is exactly the same as mine at home, so no changes there. The one item I missed was a good cup of coffee. Regular or decaf, it didn’t matter, I needed that taste. My one reflection that haunted me throughout the ordeal, was getting The Penny published. I suspect there is a very quiet stress in the deep recesses of my brain and it gnaws forward until it breaks through. My life would be more complete with The Penny in a cover and on bookstore shelves, especially knowing it’s a really special book looking for a grand audience. The life of a writer in a hospital is simply a part of the waiting process, and at least for now, The Penny won’t be published posthumously.
Hey, let’s not be talking anything like posthumous publishing. You’re still a young whippersnapper!