A Step

Hear that faint pitter patter? It's my little heart filling with joy. You see, I'm having dinner with Meredith Lee tonight, and she's agreed to look over my writing.

Nine years ago, Meredith Lee found a work I was created to do, and she cleared a path for me to do it. I distinctly remember the day all those years ago, I looked on a library shelf we shared and finding a surprise. She'd inserted a pretend book of cardstock in between our references. It had a lofty title in her lovely script and me as the author. Pointing to her handiwork on the shelf I spoke something like, "You are so funny, girl. Me writing for these scholars? That will be the day." I gave an uncomfortable giggle. Not swayed by my silliness, she took a serious yet gentle tone, "True, you will do this. Mark my words."

"That will be the day" is coming. Though I've already published a few things, the project Meredith Lee wrote as a title on that pretend book is in the works. In fact, I recognize it as the culmination of nine years of study- a self made thesis of sorts though not exactly scholarly. It's nothing like I thought it would be, and turning out to be much more interesting than I'd ever knew.

Meredith Lee is a talented art director, and hopefully (crossing my fingers here) she can suggest how to make my complicated " idea bird" fly. Having been long time friends and partners in involved projects, we have developed an easy short hand of communication I don't share with many folks. She gets me. Tonight we'll mull over and push around a series a engaging and creative meditations I've written which happen to look really strange and even confusing on paper. I know so because I asked one of my independent publishers, Kate, to consider the work a few years ago. Kate smiled sweetly then referred me to other people I don't know well (Yikes!) who just might be interested (read: she wasn't interested), and I wasn't about to hand my own baby over to strangers. So I shelved the publication idea and continued to enjoy the materials with friends. Over the summer, I attended a course under this same publisher, and she agreed I could lead opening prayer for an entire week. I set up one set of the very same materials I sent her years ago, and the experience sparked fire. Kate wants to publish to launch the materials at an upcoming conference in October.

So this morning, after my shower, I put on my favorite aqua blue sweater accented with matching pearl buttons and wool flowers, sleek black pants to wear over my squish-the-tummy black undies in preparation for dinner in several hours. I know it's just dinner with Meredith Lee, who would eat dinner with me every week if I asked, and please pardon my romanticism, but I consider this to be another step, forward on a fulfilling journey of my destiny. Where will this winding road take me next?