The Longest Reply

Writer waiting for an e-mail reply, biblical painting by William Blake

In My Inbox

Today, in my e-mail inbox I received another form rejection. That in itself is nothing out of the ordinary, for I get these things all the time. But what set this particular reply apart from all the other replies is that it took the agent, two years and three months to return the e-mail. I’m sure in the overall scheme of things this is no record, but for my particular literary endeavors it is definitely a major milestone, for I have never had to wait so long for a rejection.

A Glimmer of Hope

And then from all the information conveyed to me by this agent, who I will allow to remain anonymous, there was this little glimmer of hope.

“Regarding your submission, while there’s much to like, I’m afraid I’m not connecting enough emotionally to your characters, which ultimately means I’m not connecting enough with the content of your story. “

This in itself wouldn’t be so bad except for the fact that it was obviously part of a form letter. A few original words would have been greatly appreciated, but I guess it just wasn’t going to happen on this day. Maybe this agent would have been better off, if he had sent no reply at all. After all that seems to be the current form of saying no.

 

Quest

man on a quest, photo by author

Quest

The above image depicts a man on a quest. In past eras, this role has been primarily reserved for the male gender, but today anybody can go on a quest – male or female — no questions asked.

After contemplating the subject matter for a second or two, I decided to jot down a few characteristics of a person, who has set on a quest.

1. One specific goal  —  In this case we do not know what this man’s goal might actually be, but we do know that he has set himself on a narrow path, symbolized by the pole he is walking on.
2. Traveling Light  — Traveling light symbolizes dedication to the task at hand. In many cases, material objects are excess baggage.
3. Little Room for Error — As in this case and with many other quests there is not much room for variation. If you veer to the right or the left, you fall off the path.
4. No distractions  —  In a true quest, the traveler or voyageur cannot be distracted by events along the way. In this case, the man must ignore the crane. It is a bad distraction.
5. Search for truth — Historically, quests have always been associated with a better understanding of the laws of Nature and human endeavors. That is probably true today as well.

Quest
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Rare

This white dinosaur was spotted in the Gaspie region of Quebec, Canada on an extended bicycle journey, photo by author

Rare

This white dinosaur (brontosaurus, I think) was spotted while touring through Quebec on a 15-speed Univega bicycle. I do believe that this creature is quite rare, because I have not seen one since, not even at Jurassic Park.

Rare

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Morning

Home Sweet Home

Morning

Every morning I step outside my little shack, stretch my arms, yawn and give thanks that I am still alive.

Morning

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Opposites

Opposites attract

Opposites

Here’s an enhanced scene from the Old West (Billings to be exact) that maybe goes to prove the old adage, “opposites attract”.

Have a happy Fourth of July and enjoy some outside activities like barbecuing or watching a fireworks display.

 

Opposites

Tornado

a tornado over water is called a waterspout

The Fish Tornado

This waterspout is sucking up all the fish in the sea and will eventually redeposit them, possibly over land. Somewhere else, it may be a good day for a fish barbecue.

Face

Face

Let’s face it, faces are everywhere. Some are alive, others are not. This face was created by three pipes in a brick wall and it is definitely not alive. Still, if you look at it in just the right manner, this image does come alive (sort of). Keep in mind that if this picture was framed differently, it might not look like a face at all.
Face