"Cardinals appear when Angels are near." -- Housekeeping 101 on Facebook I did something different this morning, and it's something I plan on doing daily, good weather permitting: I walked to and attended morning Catholic Mass. I'm a daily Mass person; I watch it every day at 6 AM on YouTube courtesy of a parish in Australia. Doing so, I find my day begins properly. But the "walking to Mass" daily thing has been on my mind for sometime, and French novelist Francois Mauriac is to be credited. In his book, Young Man in Chains, he describes how wonderful the feeling was as he, in the dawn of day, walked to a local cathedral as soft bells chimed, he prepared to worship the Lord and receive Holy Communion. So, I exited our tiny Bloomfield, New Jersey home this morning and began what I knew would be a somewhat (for me) challenging walk due to the hilly spots in some portions of the journey, which eventually give way to a pitch and smoother, elevated walkways both coming and going. As I strolled, bible and prayer journal #4 in hand, birds chirped from the trees, and nary a car was seen of heard in the quiet neighborhood. Then I saw it, just a few feet away from me, pecking at the ground with a few sparrows. A bright red cardinal. It's the contrast in color -- the bright red amid the green leaves, brown tree bark -- that is the joy for me. The cardinal stands out, much like a red-tail hawk's huge wingspan when flying sets those unfamiliar with the sight to awe. Ironically enough, I shared a Facebook post courtesy of Housekeeping 101 this past weekend, which featured beautiful red cardinals, a soft tune, and the following words: "Cardinals appear when Angels are near." So, the question is, is there a truth to that statement? Were angels guarding and guiding me during my walk to Mass? Are they watching over my life, and those of my wife and daughter, as my last day of work on 5/31 approaches? Steve
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I am working on an enjoyable assignment. A Maryland-based magazine has asked me to write an article about an author and a book he wrote had published in 2016. It may be somewhat surprising to hear, but this is my first interview of a book author in my 21 years of freelancing. Never have I, to my recollection's best, been asked to write this type of article. Doing so has not only allowed entry into a fascinating realm, but it also rekindled in me a good habit which, recently, has been go and stop for me: starting to read a book and actually finish it. During our initial phone conversation, I promised the author that I would contact him when I completed reading his book, and he appreciated the fact that I sought to familiarize myself more with his work prior to a 1,000 + word article commitment. And for me, it forced me to finish the book, and thereby fuel my thirst to head to a library -- my "Basement Bookshelf" or Sprague Library at Montclair State University, to roam the stacks and select something of value to read. I get a charge out of heading to a bookstore, especially a used bookstore, and searching for something that not only will look good on my bookshelf, but I will find interesting reading. I liken it to the interest my daughter Stefanie has in attending a play, or my wife Lucille visiting an art gallery. For me (and most, I assume), it's not only about "any" book, but "the" book or author. The late William Johnston, S.J., was a Jesuit priest who wrote many books about Zen and Buddhism, and how they relate and can work with Christianity. I have never practiced either Zen or Buddhism, but reading Johnson's books about the subject relax me, interest me enough to get and read the next one in his series (*Note: I've read 9 of his books, and even reread a few more than once). Also, I tend to favor any book about writers and their work habits, like the Writers at Work: The Paris Review Series, and whatever offerings I can find about The New Yorker Magazine and its history. Architecture, especially books about older edifices, I also enjoy, but here visuals trump the words. Right now, there are four books stacked on the end table next to my bed. One is finished, one I am rereading, one I've skimmed the chapters, and another is a daily inspirational read. I value them all, and it's good to know they are nearby. I will make it to the last page with each. Steve In the summer of 2009, I made a decision to voluntarily leave my company and job to embrace and live a dream: to have and run my own freelance writing business.
If you've never "lived" your dream, I can attest that is the greatest feeling in the world...at times. There are failures (early on I bid on ghostwriting two books, and both projects stalled and dissipated) and hardships (often there is more month the money), but there are also successes (I taught two writing workshops, was guest on a radio show, attended networking events, stretched my writing skills by taking on different projects, was featured in Q&A articles about the freelance writing world, and most of the time I was able to support my family on my income). In 2012, I shut my full-time business down and toiled at it part-time, but there was a definite sadness, lack of pride if you will, at not being able to continue. Now, as the summer of 2017 approaches, I am going full-time again as a writer, this time with a gentle nudge, and step into a new but somewhat familiar realm. Things are a wee bit different now. I'm older, the departure is of a different nature, there are now many younger, excellent writers -- my daughter Stefanie included -- whom I must compete against for jobs, and the platforms have changed: goodbye much of the print world, hello online; must be familiar with SEO; digital marketing. So, how do I, a 55-year-old man, who was looking at retirement possibilities albeit at a crawl, do in this situation? I embrace it as I did before, and in reality as I always have. Not every day is rosy, but I have my faith in God and my skills. Yes, I have to gain new experience, but I have all of what I've done as well. And that book project that now looms even larger in my life? The proposal is now buttressed, strengthened as I once again will live my dream. Steve |
Steve Sears is a New Jersey based freelance writer
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