FRIDAY STIR FRY - Can't Decide

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I have to decide today if I want to participate in a book signing. I've only done one other formal book signing and I didn't enjoy it. I'm not much of a social butterfly. I don't like small talk and I felt a little like a fish in an aquarium with people walking by, gawking at me, and whispering "What a strange specimen".

Most of my author friends love doing book signings. They have no qualms about hawking their wares like a carnival worker. They smile and talk and are nice. So ... much ... work.

I don't have a new book to promote but, I guess that really doesn't matter. I still want people to read the two books I have, so this would be a chance to get new readers. Unless, of course, nobody buys; shudder

If I decide to go ahead, I'll need to buy copies of my books and swag and chocolate to give away. Plus, I'll probably need a table cover. I just don't know if I want to fool with it all.

I know to be a successful author, I need to not only write the books, but promote them. I haven't been doing much of either lately.

Decision time.

FRIDAY STIR FRY - Went A Little CraCra

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Do you ever just lose it? Come on, admit it. You just go off on somebody, usually for no good reason. They look at you funny and you lose it. They say something that rubs you the wrong way and you lose it. They sneeze and you lose it.

Most people lose their cool and recover from it fairly quickly. They actually feel better and act better after blowing their top. Like pressure being released from a cooker, it serves a purpose. Cause if you let that steam build, it's gonna blow and not in a good way.

I have a theory that some of the people who shoot, stab, or run people over etc, may not have depressurized their cooker. It has built up to an explosive level. While the rest of us let the steam out once in a while, these people don't. For whatever reason, they have kept it in. And then the top blows sky high and people in the way get hurt.

Lumping those people in the broad category of mental health does a disservice to those who manage to live with that diagnosis and be a productive part of society. There is no doubt many of these unstable people have mental health issues but, we need to be careful of stereotyping.

So, the next time somebody tells you to cool it, tell them they better be happy you blow every once in a while. Then smile at them. ;-)

FRIDAY STIR FRY - What The Heck

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Do you ever wonder 'what the heck'? I'm pretty sure everybody does. Here is my list of 'what the heck' moments I've experienced lately.

• What the heck happened to my life? The older I get the more often I ask this question. The years go by so fast.
• What the heck happened to the good old days? When kids would play outside without fear. When summer evenings were spent under a shade tree snapping green beans. When friends dropped by your home instead of just sending you a message on Facebook? Again the older I get . . . 
• What the heck happened to people being civil to each other?
• What the heck is happening in the world lately? Too much hate and intolerance. 
• What the heck is happening to our political system?
• What the heck happened to kids being respectful of their elders?
• And when the heck did my hair get so grey, my belly get so fat, and my body ache so much? (see #1) 

I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Much like that monkey, I find myself rubbing my chin or neck or temples in total confusion almost every day.

How about you? What are your 'what the heck' moments?