Embracing Change
Monday, my DH came home from work troubled. His company gave his job to someone else, took his phone away and gave him two weeks paid vacation. He’s to start a new position when he comes back to work.
Sudden. Quick like. Just like that.
CHANGE IS HARD
From experience, I knew how he felt. Back in my corporate days, I also underwent drastic change at work. It was stressful. Uncertainty is like a slimy microscopic worm that gets under your skin and feeds your self-doubt.
Once over the hump, it gets better. But the hump is so high at first, it blocks the view. Maturity and self-confidence really help to embrace change. After my first big overhaul at my job, I understood my work value; I was good at what I did, and if the worse happened, I would find work somewhere else. Somewhere better. If one possesses an excellent work ethic, one has a higher value on the job market.
CHANGE IS CHALLENGING
Change in any life situation is a challenge, but our attitude toward it can move the arrow in the alert zone, or the zen zone. When change happens outside our realm of control, it is much better to accept it, or go with the flow, than fight it. Since we can’t control the incoming change, nothing positive can be gained by becoming bitter and angry and vitriolic.
Easier said than done.
When the wound is still fresh, it’s good to let off steam like a presto spitting on the stove. Rail away. In private. And avoid to express your anger on FB or Twitter or any other public outlet. That would not be good.
CHANGE IS GOOD
Once the burn has been reduced in intensity, it’s time to look for the positives. Try to find one. Try harder. Then find another one. Force yourself. It takes a while, but the positives will come.
I told my DH he would shine brighter than before in his new role. He has to. He’s that good.
Meanwhile, I have subtly submitted a to-do list while he’s on paid vacation.
A girl has to grab the opportunity while it flashes by…
Have you ever had a huge change in your life? What’s your hindsight?
Read MoreJoss Whedon goes Super
On Saturday, my local Chapter, Palmetto Romance Writers, had the pleasure of hosting Angela Knight. Her workshop on Fight Scenes was to the point and very practical. Before the meeting started, we chatted a bit; Angela is a self-declared nerd.
Amongst other writers who write sci-fi and fantasy, we glued together like Thor’s hammer to his sexy hand. I hadn’t seen The Avengers yet. I was the only one. Shame on this nerd.
When I drove back home, I convinced DH to come watch the movie. Notice the word convince. Superheroes are not his kind of brew. Sunday was Mother’s day, and DD convinced me to see the movie again, this time in 3D.
DH appreciated the movie, he thought it was funny and good entertainment. I didn’t confess to him that when all the Avengers are on the ground looking at the portal Loki opened, goosebumps ran down my arms. Such a thrill. Real visceral reaction.
WARNING: SPOILER ALERT
Loki looks suspiciously like Henri, the villain of my story. Tall, thin, long brownish hair, righteously full of himself. I love it when he tells Hulk, “I will not be bullied by the likes of…” BAM, BAM, BAM, Loki is like Raggedy Ann in the hands of Hulk.
I have this secret satisfaction that Joss Whedon’s success is beyond huge. He’s not the driving force behind Buffy, Angel, Dollhouse and Firefly with a stubborn following of the nerdiest nerds anymore. He’s the director and screenwriter of The Avengers, the movie of 2012 with record sales. He’s the most accomplished of nerds and I want Firefly back.
GOOD WRITING
The dialogues are delicious, the action takes unexpected turns. My favorite Avengers are Iron Man and the Hulk. Hulk is the mild mannered Dr. Banner for most of the movie, but near the end, he’s the one who draws the most laughter. Throwing Loki around is one good LOL moment, but when he punches Thor unexpectedly, it’s hilarious.
The special effects are breathtaking. I don’t recommend the 3-D version, unless you have a Imax cinema close by. The budget for The Avengers must have Mr. Whedon smiling, compared to Serendipity.
Are you a comic book fan? A superheroes fan? A Joss Whedon fan? I’m all three.
httpv://youtu.be/bGt-saFvkNk?hd=1
Read MoreThe Calling by Kelley Armstrong : book review
The Calling is the second book of Kelley Armstrong‘s trilogy Darkness Rising. The Gathering was the first and I read it almost a year ago. The Calling starts off exactly where The Gathering left us, the readers, hanging on the edge of our seats while the island where our heroine lives is evacuated.
I hesitated to buy the book in a ebook format because I like to wait for Kelley Armstrong to show up in the South for a book signing. I have all her books and most are signed.
MASTER OF HOOKS
Kelley Armstrong’s writing is strong and she’s particularly good at hooks. Wether it’d be at the end of the book or at the end of a chapter, she braids magic that makes us turn the next page, or howl in frustration that we have to wait until the next book comes out.
For example, I downloaded the sample of The Calling, just to re-immerse myself in Maya’s world. I remembered that she and her friends were being pursued by men with guns and that the forest was on fire. Maya lives on Vancouver Island in Canada, in a tiny community where everyone is tied to the medical research facility built by the St. Cloud family.
I open the book and I’m right in the action again. Maya and her friends and her dog are ushered into an helicopter with the mayor. The pilot lifts off but he’s acting strange. And the mayor is slumped in his seat, beside the pilot. Maya unbuckles her seatbelt to check on the mayor, the pilot snaps at her and it’s clear: he’s not there to help them.
The excerpt I read ends like this: “As I turned, I saw a blur of motion. Rafe, his eyes opening as he sailed across the floor of the helicopter. Out the open door.”
THE CONVENIENCE OF EBOOKS (he he)
I pressed the buy button after a two seconds debate. What if Kelley Armstrong came in the vicinity of South Carolina? I could buy the traditional book then, at whatever library she’d be at. Good for the economy, right?
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