Coincidence? I Think Not.

When I teach writing the first thing I tell my students is



Before you write anything, ask yourself these two questions:



1) Who is my audience? (What do I know about them?).

2) What is my purpose? (What's your reason for writing?).



So today I'm taking my own advice. Here goes.



1.) Audience = Mary C., Rosie C., and myself.



2.) Purpose = To THANK Mary and Rosie for being an answer to my prayer (which was more like a lament or a complaint, really.) THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!



Here's the background:



Yesterday Camry and I went to the library for the 3rd time in 6 days. Because we can only find one of our family's library cards--and I've been too afraid to ask for a replacement on the "lost cards," for fear that the outstanding fines are in the trillions--we have been limited to checking out 30 books.



Yes, 30 books.



That's a lot of books for one library card.



In fact, to me, that's enough books for a family of 8 (each person "gets" at least 3 books).



But to Camry--who literally sleeps with books (not kidding)--30 isn't even enough for ONE person.



So, while we were there yesterday, Camry persuaded me to get her replacement card. (It was either that OR spend 20 minutes looking at her stack of 29 books, trying to widdle it down to 8 or 9--because "yes, she was pretty sure the rest of the kids didn't really want a book this week.")



And of course, as I suspected, her replacement card came at a cost: she had "missing" books.



I know, it's not really that big of a deal, but here's where my best thinking was getting me yesterday.



Let me share my psychosis with you (Which is confusing because according to #2 above, my audience is just Mary, Rosie and myself. Oh, well. I'll figure that part out later.)

STANDING AT LIBRARY CHECK OUT COUNTER

Librarian: A replacement card? No problem. Oh, it's $3.00 for the card and $12.00 for the outstanding fees.



The Voice in MY Head: I'm going to die, Camry. I knew it. Fines! There goes all the cash in my wallet. All of it. Poor me. I never lose my library books. Never. Not even as a kid. I should have her pay the fines in order to get the new card. Why? Why? Why?



Me Out Loud: (With sarcasm) Cam-Cam, I'm gonna knock you out. Seriously. We're renewing a card and letting you check out 20 books today. Please tell me you won't lose these ones. Ugh." (I know, not really encouraging words.)



Librarian: That's $15.00.



Me: Okay.



Voice in My Head: You didn't even check out a book for yourself, Dawn. You picked out books for everyone in the family--BUT YOU. Even Dave got a book. Dang that Dave. He gets everything. Here Camry has 20 books and Dawn has ZERO. Boo hoo. Poor you, Dawn.



*******************************

FLASH FORWARD One Hour:

(an hour filled with my complaining, I might add)

We're at home and the doorbell rings, "ding-dong."

Me: Don't any of you book-lovers get the door, I'll get it.

Voice in Kids' Heads: Huh? Why is she calling us "book-lovers?" You're right mom, we do love books.

OPEN DOOR to find Rosie C. standing there with a HUGE SMILE.

Rosie: My mom wanted me to bring this book over (Catching Fire). She said you might want to read it.

Me: Did Camry call you? (LOL.) Thanks, Rosie. Tell your mom thank you SO MUCH!

Voice in My Head: Mary C. can either hear you complaining from her house OR this is the universe's way of letting you know that the voice in your head needs to SHUSH.

**********************