Nick Harrison’s Blog

The year was about 1983 or 84. We were living in North Bend, Oregon at that time. The girls’ school was having an auction to raise money. I remember one parent donated a “home” computer to be bid on.  I remembering thinking, “A ‘home’ computer?  Why on earth would anyone want a computer in their home?”

 Ahem.  Boy, did I have a rude awakening over the next several years. And now, twenty plus years later I not only have a computer at home (and work on one at my job 6-8 hours a day), but I spend too much time on it. 

Let me count the ways: I belong to a forum, I sell used books through Amazon, I do email, I have some favorite websites and blogs I visit daily, I play a computer game at least once a day, I get my news from the web….oh and yes, I sometimes blog.

This past week, though, reminded me of one of the very best benefits of my computer and its access to the internet.  I have reconnected with two people from my past.  I’ve always been the kind of person to wonder, “Whatever happened to Dolores…or Susie and Vern”…or any number of other old friends.   And just this week Dolores found me….and so did Susie and Vern.  Dolores is a friend who reaches back possibly longer than any other.  We knew each other from a church we attended when we were six.  I have often told the story that Dolores was the first girl I ever kissed. It was behind the drinking fountain at that Sunday School.  That was in Jackson, Mississippi where I spent my early years.  We later moved to California, and after a few years of correspondence, I lost track of Dolores. And now, after forty years of no contact, we are catching up on the years. 

Susie and Vern were friends from our years in Eureka.  That was a very special time for Bev and me. We were there 16 years and loved it.  Susie and Vern left before we did though. I well remember the day we loaded up their moving truck for their long trek to Illinois.

I’ve joined Facebook and Classmates.com…..but have not reconnected with anyone from those sites yet.  And believe me, there are many people I’d love to find again.  Including Betty Jo and Tom,  Hilda, George Sousa and many of the other friends Bev and I knew from our youthful years in Rainbow and DeMolay.  We also miss friends from churches in the past: Los Gatos Christian Church, Piedmont Hills Baptist Church, Coos Bay Open Bible, Gospel Outreach…..and certainly Clayton House, the Christian communal ministry we were a part of in San Francisco almost forty years ago.

 So, I love the internet for bringing back these special people….and hopefully more to come!

Whoops! I just discovered that email address for ordering books has been wrong all this time. I’m sorry to anyone who ordered a book and thought I was ignoring them.  Thanks to Linore who called my attention to this today.  If you ordered a book and didn’t get it, please try again.

Thanks. And I will have another blog entry by this weekend.

Being a writer, one should get used to rejection. And being an editor who often rejects the writing of others, you’d think I’d get to the place where I take rejections of my writing like water off a duck’s back. But to be honest, sometimes it’s still painful. The water sinks in.

 For the past month I’ve been working with a somewhat famous person on her memoir/autobiography.  This is something I’ve always wanted to do, so I’ve been over the moon about it ever since it came about.  I did quite a bit of work getting the proposal ready for my agent to send out.

Then today the person backed out. 

I had done a sample chapter as part of the proposal and had sent it to her for her approval. She liked the writing, but she hadn’t wanted it to be QUITE so autobiographical.   So, she called it off.

I told my agent I needed a little to wallow over this.  I’m still wallowing now.  I think by sometime tomorrow I’ll be able to move on. 

Naturally, both the person in question and I have prayed over this project, so I know I SHOULD recognize that for some reason God is pulling the plug on this….not the other person.  And actually, that’s how I’ll eventually get past the wallowing stage and stand up straight again.  The hardest thing is knowing how badly I wanted to do this.  

I just hope God has something else coming along for me soon now. I feel the need to write another book…..soon.

Oh, and I have two or three manuscripts that I need to reject tomorrow. You can rest assured those people will get a very gentle and sympathetic rejection from me.  I don’t want them to have to wallow too long.

I know it seems to contradict one of my previous entries….but I really do blog every day. It’s just that I blog in my head where I’m sure it’s very hard for you to access it. 

Yesterday I had a wonderful blog entry as I was walking on my lunch hour.  One of my best blogs ever.

And then earlier in the week I blogged for several productive minutes during a rather boring meeting I was attending.   I blog during church, when I shower, when I drive to work, and quite often just before I fall asleep.  ALL of them surpass what I actually write here.  You all miss out on my best thoughts.  

In fact, it’s very late tonight. I suspect that if I will end this right now and go to bed, I might get in some very fine blogging before I fall asleep.

Sleep tight, all!

God blesses me so much.  He really does. I marvel at where I am in my life now, compared to where I used to be.  I love my job, I love my church, I love my family. Life for me, right now is very, very good.

And then something comes along that makes it even better.  Another of God’s little surprises along the way. 

And these past several days have held several such surprises from God.  

It started with a conference in North Carolina. This is an annual conference I’ve gone to as a part of my job for several years now.  And this year as I sat on the plane I was thinking, why am I going this year? What can POSSIBLY await me that I’m not expecting?  And, true to form, MUCH was waiting for me.   Not only was the conference good, but I was able to talk to two potential authors about a book they might do for the company I work for.   I was also able to connect with a couple of friends from previous conferences.  That, too, was a blessing.  And I made a couple of amazing new friends whom I already treasure.

Wow.  It was just an awesome week.  On the plane ride home I was able to reflect back to God, So THAT was the reason I went!  I should have known it could only be a good experience. 

Tonight, I got the photographs back that I took on that trip and was able to relive some of the fun.  (Note to self: no more cheapie disposable cameras. The pictures turn out grainy).

During that same week I was notified that I had won a “Fiction Editor of the Year” award from AWSA (the Advanced Writers’ and Speakers’ Association).   My wife, who was able to attend in my absence, received a very beautiful award that now graces my desk at work.  (Truly, the credit for that award goes to the fiction authors I work with. How can I miss when I edit such great novelists?).

Then in the mail this week, I received some tapes from my dad. I’ve been asking him to record some of his memories of growing up and his experience at Pearl Harbor and now I have them and am anxious to hear them!

To top the week off, I got another unsolicited positive book review on Amazon for my book His Victorious Indwelling. 

And last but not least, tomorrow Bev and I will be watching as our youngest grandson (six months old) is dedicated to the Lord at the church our daughter and son-in-law attend.

What a week!

Not long ago I asked God about all the good stuff in my life right now….and I felt like I heard this answer:  “Nick, just enjoy the miracles!”  Meaning, of course, that I don’t need to question why good things happen.  He is, after all, a good God.  And even when troubled times come, He is STILL a  good God.

So now I’m hours away from leaving for another conference…..and yes, I find myself asking, why, God, am I going to this conference? What can POSSIBLY be awaiting me there that I’m not expecting?

I can’t wait to find out!  

WHY does the kitchen sink plug up on Friday night? You either have to pay a plumber weekend pay or wait till Monday….or, in our case, try to fix it yourself. Here’s what I learned (again) this morning:

* Pray first.

* Even after praying, claim 1 John 1:9 for all that will follow.

* Do NOT take your morning shower before fixing the sink.

* Do NOT wear shorts.

* Do NOT wear WHITE shorts.

* Wives, do NOT watch your husbands try to fix the sink.

* Wives, do NOT ask questions while your husband is under the sink.

* Wives, do NOT offer suggestions.

* Wives, do NOT hold your finger in place in the “P” section of the yellow pages while watching your husband fix the sink.

* Wives, do NOT say, “Honey, you’re getting your shorts all icky.”

* Husbands, just call the stupid plumber and be done with it.

Amidst some fun laughter AFTER the above, I told Bev I might actually be able to turn this into a humorous article for some magazine…as I did our “mayonnaise war.” (See Chicken Soup for the Couple’s Soul).

Wow, I am surely the world’s worst blogger! Here am I with my new site with my very own blog and I just procrastinate blogging.  I procrastinate all my other writing too….oh, wait, except for my lists. I’m a compulsive list maker.  Alas, I’m not a compulsive list-DOER.  That’s strange because I love nothing more than crossing things off my list.  In fact, when I make a new list I always add something I’ve just done, so that I can cross something off right away. What a great feeling.

 Seriously as I redo my list every few days, I find there are some unfinished tasks that have been on the list for weeks…..months…and a couple that have been on the list for years. If you must know, getting established in a regular exercise routine is one of the real oldies. I can, report, however, that I’m making headway. I’ve been working out a little bit every night for a while now.  As I write this I’m a bit sweaty from the treadmill.  I feel really great too.  Too bad it’s almost bedtime. I’m rarin’ to go.

I will try really hard to keep up with this blog. I do have some things to say, even if no one reads them. And for a writer, blogging is at least one way to exercise the writing part of my brain.

By the way, if you’re considering a website and think mine is pretty good, I want you to consult Erin Jepsen about designing your site.  She’s very good, she’s fast, and she’s reasonably priced. Reach her here: http://www.whistlererin.com or email her here: whistlererin@yahoo.com right away!

I’m finally up with my website and am starting a blog. I hope it will be rewarding. I certainly won’t post every day, but as often as I have something to say. 

Tonight, I DO have something to say: WELCOME Matthew Harrison Gores, born yesterday, weighing 7 pounds, 15 ounces.  What fun to have three grandchildren now. God is so good.

Later, I hope to post some of my writing tips here. But as an initial entry, this is it.