Burning Down The House

Some days I know I should’ve stayed in bed. Yesterday was one.

My day started off great. Really it did. I got up, did some writing and then only left five minutes late for my monthly meeting with the Pocono-Lehigh writers. It’s so good to get together face-to-face with other writers. We share what is going on in our personal lives, learning that none of us have an easy time of it to find moments to write. However, despite day jobs and family obligations we keep on putting pen to paper every chance we can.

After my meeting, there were errands to run, groceries to buy, dogs and kids to fed. You know the drill. You’re living it too. Any who… In rushing to catch up and maybe find those elusive moments to write, I turned on the oven in preparation for dinner and headed into my office to type out a conversation I had running in my head between Aden Nash, my next U.S. Marshal hero, and his partner.

About ten minutes later, one of the boys yelled the cookies were hot and my heart literally leaped against my breast bone. I scrambled out of my fictional world, leaving my chair spinning, and raced down the hallway to learn the cookies and rolls I’d just bought had their plastic wrappers shrink-wrapped around them.
Needless to say I was upset with myself. One thoughtless action might have cost my family our home.

Now, I could’ve dwelled on it and let the festering ruin what had been a pretty good day, but instead I first thanked God for watching over us and then went back my office and wrote out the physical and emotional responses I had just experienced, because someday one of my characters will do the same stupid thing.


Have you ever done something as stupid? Please share. Don’t let me feel like the only time-challenged person in the world.