This is another picture taken out in front of my house. Now you can see why it's a no-brainer why I am grateful for where I live. (It hasn't snowed yet this year)When I was a kid, so many of us wanted to grow up and be writers. Now that's something I never hear. I have a lot of theories why that is, and if you've read my blog steadily, you'll remember how much I've written in the past about turning boys away from reading and writing. And the big headline this week (well... at least in education) praises gains in math and science for fourth and eighth-grade students.
That's part of it, too. And I know that there will be some physics and math dudes out there who get their panties in a bunch over this, but the over-emphasis of cut-and-dry, non-interpretive disciplines is taking a toll on the arts, creativity, and critical thinking.
The consequence of this is that when we DO pull out of this recession, we will be actually LESS capable of competing with world economies on those things that precisely made America great -- innovation and creativity.
Okay, math and physics dudes in panties, bring it on.
So, when I go out and talk to high school kids, I get the most amazing reception and reactions from students and teachers because I talk to them about growing up and becoming a writer -- as a profession. And they're like... duh... I never thought you could do that. I guess I don't have to wear these panties.
Seriously, though, it's something that kids never talk about or explore in schools anymore, and that's a shame, because so many kids, teachers, and librarians send me e-mails after my little shows and tell me how inspired they are about one day becoming a writer.
So this brings me to today's reason to be grateful. It's a personal one. Because all this sharing I get to do, all the places I get to go, all the amazing, incredible people I get to meet have all been brought to my life because of my agent. I am really grateful for her.
I know a lot of writers who've never even seen their agent, but I sat down to lunch with mine and had a terrific conversation before I even signed a contract with her. And since then, she's become a friend -- someone I can really count on through all my high-maintenance-moody-tantrum-throwing-don't-bother-me-now-I-am-in-a-manic-writing-frenzy-and-suddenly-I-want-to-give-up crap.
And not only is she a great coach and encourager, she is academically brilliant and creatively gifted. I'm not even going to ask her if she likes physics and calculus... I'm afraid she'd be an expert at those things, too.
So, thanks.
See... this gratitude experiment, I am finding, forces you to consciously think about expressing your appreciation. Sure... we all go along quietly enough, day after day, with a kind of white noise of yeah-I'm-thankful-for-that humming along unexpressed somewhere in our minds. But keeping track of those things and taking the time to actually concentrate on defining them as words (which is what we writers do, kids) is quite an enlightening experience that nurtures the heart.
