Tag Archives: joy in the journey

Japan: A Day in the Life

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We went to Minakami, which means “many gods” or “all the gods in one place” depending on who you talk to, because Amelia has a friend from her church who long ago befriended a potter named Euan Craig. Craig is an Australian man who has long lived in Japan, first studying and now teaching the art form.

Minakami is a little off the beaten path, home to an artistic village that brings tourists in the summer and feels quiet in the off season. Think of the Arts Walk section of Asheville, but not so big. Lots of fruit orchards in Minakami as well, some cherry, some apple.

Euan made us cappuccino in his beautiful house (1870s, traditional Japan style with sliding doors and all) full of pottery. He and Amelia talked about their mutual friend Alexis, who at age 91 felt he couldn’t make the trip to see Euan. Alexis and Euan have never met face to face, just corresponded for years online.  

Euan gave Amelia a small mug to take back to Alexis, and told us bits and pieces of his (Euan’s) life story. At age 14 he made a list of things he did and didn’t want from his life and career. From this list his options whittled down to being a potter, so off he went to learn the art form. A few chance encounters sent him overseas, and a few friendships enabled him to study with a master potter or two.

Euan was very intentional about his life. He knew what he wanted and invested the time, money, and relationships to learn to do it. Some people are straight line go-getters, some are gentle curves, and some are squiggles—they set out in the straight line but get distracted into something else. Fairly often, that something else turns out to be wonderful, but sometimes it ties itself in a knot and chokes their dreams out of them.

There’s not one way to get life right, of course, but those who discover themselves early get a lot of credit for not letting anything knock them off course. More power to them, and that’s an awesome way to live. Euan’s house radiates peace and contentment, like his cat.

Oddly enough, Euan’s life set me to thinking about Brian, one of my favorite doctors. First he was a mail carrier. Then he was a stay at home dad. Then he decided to take the MCAT (the exam to get into medical school) some time in his thirties. Now he’s one of the best medical providers in Appalachia.

Some people go straight there, Some people circle. Some people meander. Perhaps those who double back on themselves look a little less focused, not so much winners as wanderers. This strikes me as too simplistic. Getting knocked off course can be miserable; of course it can. But the misery doesn’t need to be self-depreciation or absorbing other people’s “you’re HOW old and you’re just starting?” Here’s a shout out to the people who enjoy the journey, be it linear or arcing, long or short. Euan and Brian each wound up in a place of contented fulfillment, enriching the lives of others. Isn’t that the joy of the journey?

Finding the Joy in the Journey

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The garden has its second planting. The canner is going full tilt. I got another personal rejection from a fiction agent.

It’s a journey. The rejection was friendly, kind even, and specific about the reasons. It’s good grist for the improvement mill, and I’m grateful that 1) I am now consistently getting past the interns with most agent queries, and 2) some agents are kind enough to supply feedback, believing in the maturity of the author to incorporate it rather than fling it back in their face. Good on ya, agents. Your job can be emotionally draining, and it’s so helpful when you send that kind of information.

When I get a personal rejection, it feels invigorating. Someone cared enough to read my work and give me an honest opinion. That’s quite something in today’s crowded, noisy world. It means there’s a reason to fight another day to get my work to the right person.

Agents are a lot like dating: you have to find the person whose worldview either aligns or at least encompasses yours. You have to impress each other. You have to learn to trust and believe in each other. It’s a LOT like dating.

And it’s actually fun. In a success-driven society where people literally make “friends” with each other based on how useful they think you’re going to be to them later, hunting an agent feels honest. And like a learning opportunity. It’s a financial contract with emotional edges. It’s a strategic process where you learn what works and what doesn’t, pit what you think against advice from experts, and learn to flex.

As you send your five queries per week, it can feel like a game. Which is a good thing. Helps you keep your sanity as you add another rejection to the RESPONSE column of your query spreadsheet.

These days those response entries say things like “Personal no, too much romance,” and “personal no, possible reconsideration if…” When I scroll up a dozen entries, I wasn’t getting past the interns. A spreadsheet doesn’t just keep you from querying someone twice, it shows you progress.

Forward, onward, north to Narnia – or Chicago, New York, Charleston. Not all the awesome agents are in NYC.

There’s a joy in the journey, and a satisfaction to knowing you’re writing something worth looking at. To having done the work. The gatekeepers are part of the work, so make them part of the fun.