Boomers: Simple Reality

I often see posts and memes on social media sites from baby boomers about yearning to return to simpler times, years ago when we didn't seem to have a care in the world. 

It was back in the days when we watched "The Lone Ranger," "Superman," and "Leave It To Beaver" on television sets. We played out outside until the street lamps came on, without being distracted by smartphones or other tech devices. We rode in cars without seat belts, or if younger, safety seats.  We played board games such as Monopoly, Yahtzee, and Scrabble and various card games, those family-oriented activities on dining-room tables or living-room floors. It seemed that everyone remembers being at chuch on Sundays.

There's a reason most of us, especially those living in white middle- and upper-class America, had easy lives. We were much younger and had relative few cares or responsiblities. It was our parents and other adults who took us by the hand and guided our charmed lives.

A simpler time

Most of us who had mothers who stayed home and cared for us, from feeding our hungry little mouths, wiping our dirty little butts, reading to us and then tucking our tired bodies in bed. They washed and ironed our clothes, volunteered to chaperone on school field trips, and served as den leaders in cub scouts.

For many of us, our dads got up early in the morning and spent most of the day at work to pay our food, clothes, shelter, toys, and medical expenses. They also served as coaches and umpires in youth leagues. They also found time to mow the lawn, especially if we were too young to help, wash the car, and assist mom with various honey-dos. 

Yes, it was a simpler time, for those of us growing up because we had little or no responsibilities other than to keep our noses clean and show a degree of respect to our elders. It was our parents and guardians who paid and paved the way for our wonder years.

Nostalgia is a wonderful but it's not possible to return to that life unless one can turn back the biological clock.  Yes, I can yearn for the time when I was a preteen, but that's six decades ago. 

Time marches on, and you can either keep in step or wallow in period that will never be.

Until the next time . . .

Brief Timeout from Manuscript and Recent Reads

 My work-in-progress is now a work-in-process as it has been sent to my editor to begin steps to publication so I'm taking a short breather and relax.

This will be the fifth book in the John Ross Boomer Lit series and will be published Oct. 1 by Wings ePress. I've put in a lot of hours the past couple of months so it's time to sit back for a day or so. 

I missed my deadline of completing it on April 1 by one day because I made several final-day changes before hitting the send button. I could have made more edits/rewrites but there comes a time when you have to hand it over to the editor because it can become an all-consuming process that has no end.

Between now and then, the manuscript will be edited and returned to me to make corrections and consider suggestions. After issues are resolved, it will be sent to a proofreader to spot other problems such as typos and grammatical errors. The manuscript will then be transformed into a galley proof for one final read to make any additional changes before being published. 

In the meantime, I'll be working on loglines, website blurbs, marketing input, and working with a graphic artist on a cover. So there's lots of work ahead of me and the talented folks at Wings ePress before the launch date. 

By the way, the manuscript clocked in at 59k words, about 9k more from the first draft following National Novel Writing Month last November. The finished novel could be more or less, depending on what happens during this next phase of the editing process. 

I also hope to begin working on the sixth book in the series after completing some of the odds and ends. There's more to tell about the life and times of John and Sally Ross. 

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Recent reads:

Paul Maher Jr.'s book sets the stage for Jack Kerouac's classic On the Road, providing background on the real-life characters and places that populate the popular novel. This book is a must-read for those who want to understand the life and times of the Kerouac as well as his inspirations and aspirations as a writer.

I revisited George Orwell's classic dystopian novel, curious to see how it has held up, especially since 1984. It's still an interesting read but overwritten (my humble opinion) in parts. But overall the book is a cautionary tale about totalitarian government, published after World War II (1949). We learn about "Big Brother," thought control, and much more. Chilling! 

Until the next time . . .