Subscribe to one of Suzanne's online bookclubs and receive her daily column at: DearReader.com
AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader
Dear Reader,
Today's guest columnist, author Jodie Bailey is convinced a camping trip to the beach with her family, a good cup of coffee, and a great book can cure all ills.
I can't supply the trip to the beach, or hand you a cup of coffee, but I do have five copies of Jodie Bailey's book Quilted by Christmas to give away today.
To enter email the author at: Jodie@jodiebailey.com
Welcome to the book club, Jodie Bailey...
There was a time, about eight years ago, when I decided to buy a Harley. It was a gorgeous black cherry Dyna Street Bob with mini apes and not a lot of chrome because, hey... Who needs to spend all of their time polishing chrome when they could be out riding? My husband was a bike guy who let me ride along and we decided it was time.
Then came Motorcycle Safety Class. No, it didn't scare me. I already knew the dangers of being on two wheels. Instead, it wrecked my pride and taught me to be a better person.
As a word nerd, I excelled in the classroom portion. Then we headed outside to ride. Here I was, in a class with my "baby" brother, piloting a motorcycle for the first time. And how did I do, you ask?
Well, I popped the clutch and rode that little out-of-control Buell straight into a bush. Before I could even register anything, I was flat on my back on the asphalt, a (thankfully small) motorcycle on my legs, staring at the sky. I wasn't hurt, but I knew the definition of bruised pride. (Make that 'shattered' pride.) For what felt like an hour, I lay there vainly hoping no one had noticed and deciding that a life lived prone on hot asphalt was probably not so bad a thing if it meant never having to look anyone in the eye ever, ever again. It's safe to say I've never in my life been more humiliated. Probably because the first vision I had was of my brother's face, a cross between horror his sister might be hurt and vindication for all of the things I'd done to him in his younger life.
The instructor finally showed up and lifted the motorcycle, and it's possible he was privileged to one of the rare times I've spoken in shades of blue. I hid in the bathroom for a while, trying to put the pieces of my pride back together. Thankfully, I never did. Something happened that day, something amazing and necessary and life changing. I looked in the mirror and realized how arrogant I'd always been, how I really did believe I could be the best at anything I decided to do. Wow. Talk about a blow to realize you've been that kind of person. When I shared that revelation with my brother at lunch, he gave me the greatest 'Duh' of his life and let me know I probably needed the tail whipping that motorcycle gave me. Yeah, I still squirm when I think about it, but I can promise you that pride thing is no longer an issue. I'm too afraid to be arrogant. There might be another rogue bush waiting to knock me on my back if I am!
--Jodie Bailey
To enter to win a copy of Quilted by Christmas, email: Jodie@jodiebailey.com
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
* This month's Penguin Classics book is CHILDHOOD, by Jona Oberski. Start reading now and don't forget to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin Totebag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqZ1AFE3FA7EF5&c=CLASSICS
AUTHORBUZZ: AuthorBuzz authors are on vacation for the next two weeks. Instead of writing, they'll be roasting turkeys and baking pies. They will return the week of December 1st.
Comments