photo Credit: jef safi via Compfight cc

As I get to know you, let me introduce my old friends. They’re imaginary. They sit in my head, fight with each other,  and make me crazy.

My first imaginary friend is Grim Streaker. Long ago my mother told me, “When you’re  afraid of someone, Rowie,  imagine him naked.” That’s when I came up with Grim Streaker.  When my pal, Grim, grabs his scythe, goes streaking and  wears his  socks with his hiking sandals (just like I do) I know I have found a mentor. He’s just so cool.

Now, Overthinker, is often in conflict with Grim. He believes in taking his time, planning, and planning and then planning to plan. Overthinker believes in Perfection. I’d describe him,  but I can’t because he has never been ready to leave his safe little den, and put himself out there.

A couple of years ago (ten if you must know) Grim says, “Elderly girl, start the darn book! The clock is ticking.”

Over Thinker says, “Rosie Girl, think, think, think what you are doing. You might fail. You can’t write a book! You’re not an expert on anything!”

Grim says, “That’s not true, Rose.  Just write about what you love. Hurry, girl. You don’t have much time left. If today was your last Friday alive, and you had only one week-end left before you and I started streaking together up there  in the Grim Streaker Marathon, Rose, how would you spend that week-end?”

I began with, “I would teach great lessons all week; come home on Friday night and at twilight dine  with Jerome the Great and Good, sipping our wine, listening to the crickets….”

Over Thinker says, “Stop , Rose, stop! you’re not ready to start. Write a book?  You? Everyone will know you are a fake, a failure and a flop!”

Yikes! I hate it when Grim and Over go to war, but somehow I kept going, “…wake up Saturday morning, gather my family, hike, bird, sip pure icy water from a mountain stream,  and see a bird called a scarlet tanager…”

Over Thinker screamed, Stop, I say st…………!”

“You’re over, Overthinker,” I exhaled deeply  and continued… “Then, on Sunday I would lie down on a hammock under a tree and read a great book while reveling in my glorious solitude. And while I was doing all of this, I would be wearing short shorts with my long tan legs flexing their muscles in my weathered hiking boots;  and I would look soooooooooooooooo cool! Hallelujah! Praised be me!”

And, that Folks, is why I hope you will read and enjoy my book. Oops, almost forgot! Yes,  you will  have to buy it too. You can do that online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and  I-Books (or is it I-Tunes?, I keep getting mixed up.).