Have you ever had a time in your life that a special project or event pretty much consumed all of your time for days on end? Maybe planning for a wedding, a 50th wedding anniversary party, the first baby in the family, or maybe the 5-year Richland Homecoming celebration. And then it happened and is over, and with relief you sat back and were happy with the results of how things turned out. Now it was time to wonder, what now?

That is what I have been going through since recovering from a health issue (still getting better day by day); and also completing my book. I am very happy with the results of my six-months project of putting my book together to share the eleven years of writing my column for Neighbors Magazine. But now, what happens next? Where do I go from here?

As I see it, all the follow-up to my book project will still take some time. But how do I get back to what is for me a normal, routine, ordinary lifestyle? I started by trying to catch up on all the things that I had left undone around the house. But all that boring stuff made me more anxious rather than feeling more at peace with myself.

Then I sat down and picked up my new book. On the back cover it says, “Month by Month. Through the Years.” I paged through some of the articles I had written in the past about how to deal with “life.” I needed some guidance to get back on track…
I finally found the answers I was looking for.

As I see it, when in doubt about something, go back to what worked in the past. For me that was sitting down with a good novel and getting lost in the world of adventure waiting there. (I had been reading books over the winter that I received as Christmas gifts. But they were out of my usual genre. I missed reading stories of suspense, legal fiction, and mystery.) So, I went back to the library, and it was like coming home and embracing old friends; like David Baldacci, Sandra Brown, and John Grisham, to name a few. I sat down and became absorbed in John’s latest book… I was getting back on track…

Then even better, I received an email from an old friend. We met as 2nd graders in 1946; so I have known him for 78 years. We still see each other at our annual class reunion. Hearing from a friend always helps to get things back in focus. (We talk about each other as “the other Wayne.”) Here is his email:

   Wayne, I’ve begun reading your book and I’m enjoying it very much! Thanks for sending it to me.
   Although I’ve just started it, I see where we have more in common than just our first names.
   We have both had tremendous women in our lives. You, Elsie, your mom (one of the finest people I’ve ever known), and Gert.  My gifts have been Esther, my mom, and now my wife, Donna.
   Then there is our love of sports. We both consider ourselves fortunate to have grown up in a small town, and at a time when we could participate in football in the fall, basketball during the winter, baseball and track in the spring, plus golf and softball in the summer. Great fun!
   But when it comes to writing, you are light years ahead of me. You do a terrific job! Thanks for sharing your book with me! Wayne

As I see it, “who’d ever thunk it!” I never thought I would go back and read some of my own advise to help getting back to where I am today. Already from my latest research I have found some interesting stuff to write about and share with you. Plus, with baseball season starting, I have the Cardinals to cheer on again, so that helps me look forward to another World Series championship! Who is it who always says, “Life is like baseball”?