Lifeline

Hello Everyone:

Today I got an email from a former design magazine editor I met last week.  She called my historic preservation blog elegant.  Wow, what compliment.  I'll happily take it.  It's nice to get feedback like that.  In the meantime, new project popped up on my radar, a mini-research project for the West Hollywood Preservation Alliance.  I hope this and the prospect of working with the USC doctoral candidate is a sign of good things to come.  Regarding the latter, I've been trying to set a time to met her to discuss the details of the work.  From what she told me over the phone, it sounds like she needs someone who is fluent in English to smooth out her own scholarly writings.  I'm fine with that.  Hey whatever experience I can get, I'll take it.  I'm not too shameless.  Someone also suggested Craigslist.  I'm a little hesitant about that one because it seems to attract dubious postings.  I'm still pursuing my article pitching activities.  I have a couple of other ideas in mind where to post my article.  Mostly what I need to do is cut down.  I did a word count yesterday and it was close to 4,000 words.  Most places want between 650 and 750 words maximum.  I have my work cut out.   I have to figure out a way to distill it down without losing the essence of the content.  I need to block out some serious time for that one.

In other news, I know I said I wouldn't go back to reading that article in Intervene but I find myself returning to it.  I think what keeps drawing me back is the way it was written, so painfully honest.  No holds barred.  It's just one person's truth.  Yet there is something about that truth that so compelling. Maybe it's because it focuses on what can be done about alcoholism and drug addiction.  Maybe it's because the article describes alcohol-addiction as an equal opportunity disease, which it is, make no mistake about it.  Yet it gives hope to those who have suffered or are suffering from this disease of the body, mind, and soul.  I think that's the most powerful attraction for me.  Hope is something that I'm quite short on these days.  Despite the burst of activity, I still feel like it won't translate into anything stable and secure.  So when I read this article, I try to take from it the message that there is hope for all.  It's just a matter of grabbing on to a life line.  Maybe this burst of activity is my life line.