 |
| photo by Jan Siebold |
My husband and I were walking up Michigan Avenue in Chicago. At one intersection we tried to beat the traffic light that was turning from green to red, but didn't quite make it. An impatient driver blasted his horn at us. A bicyclist waiting next to the car looked at the driver and said, "You gotta wait, man. What are you going to do, hit 'em?" The small crowd around us cheered and clapped at this show of kindness and common sense.
One of the greatest lessons that I have learned as a writer is that much patience is required. Before my first book was published I spent months and months waiting to hear about the precious manuscript that I had flung out into the world. Once I received a glorious acceptance letter I waited more months for initial contact from my assigned editor. I waited again for responses to my rewrites and again for a glimpse of my book's cover art. I waited for the F&Gs. A little over a year after receiving the acceptance letter, the exciting day came when a box of the finished books arrived at my door. That was followed by another nail-biting period ... waiting for the reviews to come in.
Good things come to those who wait. Meanwhile, life goes on. Use the time wisely. You gotta wait, man.
