Warning: This post isn’t my normal inspiring, motivating, uplifting kind of post–it’s pretty depressing in fact so if you’d rather not feel sad, you might want to skip along the cyber highway and wait to read my next post….

Wow. Time flies by so fast….

Where I’ve Been

I haven’t forgotten about the contest I told you about– honestly. Circumstances beyond my control have kept my focus away from blogging lately. I mentioned in my last post that I’ve recently lost two cousins (only in their thirties). Well, since that posting, I’ve lost a third cousin (only 28). Major shocker. I grew up with two of these cousins and was around them all the time, so they were more than just a “cousin” or “relative”, they were extremely special to me.

I went to school with the cousin who was 32. He just didn’t wake up one morning. It was his heart. The 36-year-old cousin lost his life in a car accident, and the 28-year-old cousin who just passed away also lost her life in a car accident. She was like a little sister to me. She was so special and we were so much alike. I’ve been devastated and have been at a total loss for blog posts. I haven’t even been writing/blogging for editors/clients since she passed away. I’ve taken some time to try to absorb all of this. I mean, one death is one thing, but two? That was hard enough. And then a third one? And for her to be such a beautiful, special soul? That’s when I realized I had to step away from the page and just let it sit there blank. The Muse–and my creative inspiration–has taken a flying leap and deserted me. But that’s okay for now. I am relishing the quiet moments. I need them. I crave them. I am using these quiet moments to find strength, hope, and healing. I’m using them to find renewal and to fill back up on the energy I need so I can move forward. This has all been so exhausting, it’s unreal. The bad news, the services, seeing my family members and even my cousins’ friends hurting so badly, missing their loved ones so much…. And realizing I’ll never see my cousins again–not on holidays, not on family visits, and there’ll be no more opportunities to send a birthday card….

Life, Death, and What Comes After

I won’t pretend to be a genius and concoct fancy images of the after life for you to figure out. Those of you who have followed me from the beginning of this blog and who have become close to me along the cyber highway and my freelance journey know that I am a Christian. No, I don’t say it in every blog post or on every social media site. I don’t try to force my beliefs on others and I have found that even those of you who don’t believe in God at all respect me (and my walk with God) because of that. Am I ashamed? No. And those of you who know me, know that too. Some people (okay, a lot of people) disagree with me on that. They think I should shout from the rooftops that I’m a Christian. I firmly believe what my Grandmother always taught me: actions speak louder than words. I can say I’m something until I lose my voice, but if I show what I am by my actions, then you’ll know without a doubt. Simple, eh?

So, anyway… I do believe there is life after death but the life after death I’m referring to here is on this side of the world. I’m talking about those of us who are left here to pick up the pieces and to wonder why: Why did they have to die so young? Why couldn’t they have lived and why couldn’t have God taken someone else? Someone who did horrible things and who was a horrible person who hurt people? But He didn’t. He took my cousins. All of them had children. Now their children are minus a parent.

What to Do?

Sometimes there just aren’t any answers. Sometimes we have to leave it at that. We don’t know everything….

So, what do we do? What can we do? We can wake up each morning as the sun kisses our face or the rain pelts the window or the dark clouds hover over our homes and be truly thankful in our hearts that we are alive and can gobble up all the goodness that day will bring! Don’t think there’ll be any goodness in a new day? Then be the person who brings goodness to the world!

Love your family and friends as if there were no tomorrow. Remember: tomorrow may never come for some of us. We aren’t guaranteed to wake up when we go to sleep, or to make it to our destination alive when we hop in our car–or someone else’s–and drive away.

Don’t take the people you love for granted. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today: let them know how much you appreciate them, tell them you love them instead of just assuming they already know it, buy them a beautiful (or even silly) card “just because”, make time for your loved ones–even if you don’t think you can.

There are definitely potholes in the roads of life. Nevermind them. Stop to smell the roses and enjoy the journey as best you can. Cherish every moment that you breathe. Live so that you won’t have regrets. Forgive and forget–even if it hurts. Love yourself enough to love those around you. Don’t wait until it’s too late and you can’t…

I leave you with this thought: life is a book.

Be sure to subscribe to Writing the Cyber Highway’s Feed or by e-mail! In the next couple of posts, I’ll be sharing photos and details about my visit to an old-fashioned festival where I dressed up as a pioneer woman (bonnet and all!) and also had the amazing opportunity to meet an Editor-In-Chief and an Editor. Eeek! I’ll also be posting that contest I’ve been telling you about, so keep up with me on the cyber highway!

Photo Credit: wowacom

By

Michele L. Tune

I’m curious… I’ve sometimes lost track of which gig I applied for and I’m left wondering exactly what ad I even responded to when the person replies. Has this happened to you? I’ve started pasting the ad I’m applying for at the bottom of the email. I think this is helpful because it will not only refresh MY memory when the person responds, but it will help them know which ad I answered, and will help them know which website gave them the best responses/results.

So, do you paste in the freelance gig you’re applying for? Have you ever even considered it? Do you track them in Excel, a notebook, or…?? Share your freelance wisdom with us!

By

Michele L. Tune

Hope you’ve been having a fantabulous weekend! Here’s a few fun facts you may not know about me. Enjoy!

Thanks to Steve, over at My Wife QUIT Her Job, I’ve decided to share 25 random things you don’t know about me. (I can’t forget Angie from Freedom Freelance. She recently tagged me for a meme requesting I share 7 things about myself–hopefully she’ll think 25 is even better!)

1. I know you don’t know this: My Mom named me after Michelle Lee (from Knots Landing)–only she chose Michele with one “L” and spelled my middle name differently. Can you guess how she spelled “Lee” in my name?
2. I lived in California when I was a kid, from the time I was 2 until I was 4 (although I have no memories of it). That’s a shame, considering I supposedly got to go to the beach and play in the ocean all the time.
3. My favorite place to go (according to my parents) was Der Wienersnitchel — a cool place that sold hot dogs. That’s hilarious, ’cause now I wouldn’t eat a hot dog for a million dollars! Oh, and Mom and Dad still laugh at how I tried to pronounce the name. Every time I said it, they knew where I wanted to go though.
4. When I was in the 2nd grade, my teacher told me I’d be a writer when I grew up. When I asked her why I wrote so much, she replied: “It’s because you have so much to say you can’t say it all, you have to write a bunch of it down.” She was right; I’m a writer–although I wonder some days if I’ve really grown up.
5. I attended both public and private schools growing up. Both experiences were totally different. While I missed my friends from public school, and had some issues with my experiences at the academy, I do have warm memories I’ll always cherish. (And, yes, I had to wear a uniform: tan skirt, white oxford shirt, navy blue vest, panty hose, closed shoes [meaning no open toes/heels]–go ahead and laugh. I’ll wait.)
6. Spelling and English were my two favorite subjects in school. I always made 100% on my spelling tests and my teachers were always pleased with my enthusiasm–and talent–for writing essays and doing book reports. While other kids cringed, I jumped for joy.
7. P.E. was my least-favorite part of school. Well, that and the bullies!
8. I was a Brownie and a Girl Scout. I never became a Cadette, though, because I left public school and went to private (see above).
9. My parents paid for professional swimming lessons–I still can’t swim and don’t like to be in the water! (Sorry Mom and Dad.)
10. I almost flunked Home Ec. Why? ‘Cause I loved eating the cookie dough.
11. My grandma always wore shawls in cool weather–with panty hose and white sandals. I wanted to be just like her, so I insisted my parents buy me the same exact shawls and sandals–I was her shadow and I looked the part, too!
12. When I was in 5th grade, my teacher asked us to write an essay starting with: If I were a turkey on Thanksgiving Day... He gave me an A+ and proudly put it on the bulletin board out in the hallway for everyone to enjoy–I’ll never forget that achievement! However, I’m convinced someone morphed my words and ideas into the movie Babe. Seriously!
13. Judy Blume was one of my favorite authors. I read Blubber, Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret, and so many others. I loved her! I dreamed of having my name on the cover of books someday, just like her–I’m on my way! Wahoo!
14. Some shows I loved were: Charlotte’s Web, Reading Rainbow, The Patty Duke Show, Mork & Mindy, Different Strokes, Laverne & Shirley, I Love Lucy, The Brady Bunch (I still remember the entire theme song!), The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, The A-Team (gotta love Mr. T!), Silver Spoons (Rick Schroeder, anyone?)–ah, those were the days, eh?!
15. As a kid, I went to see Tojo Yamamoto. Can any of you tell me who he was–without a Google search?
16. Growing up, I was one of the few children in a neighborhood made up mostly of elderly folks. I had lots of grandmas and grandpas and I loved every minute of it. They’d spoil me with special baskets on the holidays filled with freshly-baked cookies, old-fashioned candies (that they remembered and loved from their youth) and other goodies. I’ll never forget those baskets–or those special people who loved me like I was their own granddaughter. It’s a huge reason I’ve always loved making baskets filled with homemade goodies and taking them to nursing homes, shut-ins, the sick, or any elderly person I adopt.
17. I sing. Not all of you know that I sing. I have since I was a little girl. Surprise: I’m working on another website and will eventually have both audio and video of me singing up there. It might be a little while, as I’m doing it in my spare time. I’ll let ya know when it’s up.
18. I have the uncanny ability to turn (most) extremely stressful situations into bearable moments by finding humor or the silver lining right away. Not everyone appreciates my enthusiasm, but I try…
19. When I was obese (near 300 pounds), I went to a doctor and he accused me of going to the all-you-can-eat buffet every single day (like I could afford that?!) and he ticked me off–I lost over 100 pounds. Anger is a good thing when focused in the right direction.
20. I’m blessed with empathy. I not only have compassion for people going through crisis or any trouble or pain, I am overwhelmed with empathetic feelings and always do my best to comfort the person/people any way I can. I don’t take this gift lightly, and I feel it truly is that: a gift.
21. I fantasize about sitting on a porch/deck in Hawaii and writing as the sweet scent of Plumeria wafts with a gentle breeze for my enjoyment. Oh, and I’m sipping herbal tea. And since I’m dreaming here, I’m eating a ginormous piece of German chocolate cake–which just happens to be my favorite.
22. My favorite color is pink. Always has been. I love pink clothes, pink flowers, pink office supplies…
23. Another fantasy I have is to win a shopping spree in an office supply store. Oh, my! I know, I’m a sad, odd gal. I’d be a happy odd gal if that happened, though!
24. At this point, I really don’t want to travel the world or anything, but if I ever get to New York, the first place I want to visit is the library. Yes, I’m serious. When I was in college, my Speech Instructor told me she was astounded when she walked in the door. She said as far as you can see bookshelves spiral up, up, up. That is so intriguing to me! (What, I’m a writerly kind of gal.)
25. Something I’ve always wanted (since I was a young girl)… a classic Mustang: candy apple red, black leather interior, with a black convertible top. My favorite styles are the Mustang GT Coupe and the Mustang GT convertible. I don’t like the Shelby–or the late 60/70 body styles. Only the 64 1/2 and 65-66 body styles appeal to me.

Whew! I never thought I’d think up 25 things about myself–this is hard! So, there you have it. I’m assuming most of you didn’t know these 25 things about me.

What about you? Have you done this meme? Do you always share stuff like this with your readers? Share your thoughts and 25 things links with us in the comments!

Be sure to subscribe to Writing the Cyber Highway’s Feed or by email, so you won’t miss upcoming posts and updates. Look for news from my own writing life, as well as interviews with amazing and inspiring folks. I’ll even be sharing the links to my mom’s  new website and blog!