So I missed July entirely. I’m aware it passed strictly due to still having an “essential” job and having to show up daily and deal with the lovely people who come in. Some of them are fine, some of them are not. However, I feel compelled to point out that it is not one particular type that is causing problems since I see too many people criticizing only one side rather than acknowledging the fact that people will be people and there is not a box to evenly divide them into.
I have spent the last several months listening to all sorts of different political/religious or lack thereof/cultural/etc from everyone who feels the need to spread it, and I am about done. I strongly believe in people being entitled to their respective and different opinions, but that doesn’t mean I care to hear all the different sides on a day to day basis. Even if I agree with some of the things shoved in my face…I don’t want to have to hear them. I go to work to work, not to get dragged down various rabbit holes or have to figure out how to cleverly dodge some of them without setting off the person standing before me.
And, for the record, the whole “it used to be illegal to wear a mask into (insert whatever business you’re in here)” was never funny, and to hear it at least seven times a day is a bit much. Especially since everyone and their brother insists you find it oh, so funny.
Obviously, I’m a bit burnt out of work and the people who I’m responsible for helping. I’m happy on most days to have a job, but people tend to look straight to the “you have a job part” rather than also acknowledge that by having a job, most of us still working are dealing with the very rude and disrespectful people who are understandably stressed and exhausted but are unfairly directing it at people who have absolutely no control over the world.
I sincerely hope most of those (if not all) who stumble onto my blog are well, have been well throughout this entire crazy year, and have not lost anyone close or distant to them. If you have suffered directly or semi-indirectly from this pandemic, you have my deepest condolences. And, if you have found your life/job/mental wellbeing compromised or lost, you also have my sincerest condolences. This has not been an easy year to navigate, and it has worn everyone down in one way or another no matter how little or great their lives have been directly affected.
But, onto happier subjects. It’s August and a miracle of sorts has occurred. I’m scheduled to undergo surgery in September to resolve a health issue that has been plaguing me for years. Which, while downtime is not my forte, means I will get a not-exactly-desired-but-still-needed-long-vacation from work, and to combat my inability to sit still and recover without a distraction, I’ve spent the last few months pushing to get book five (which is, of course, once again nameless) to an editor in the hopes I can finish the revisions I’m handed while I’m confined indoors with limited mobility. I may be a terrible enough patient that this type of distraction is beyond necessary.
As of last Monday, book five is with my editor, and it is on schedule to be a semi-salvation/work replacement while I recover. This is the small miracle I referenced up above as this means I might squeeze out two new books in the year 2020 since When Forces Rise came out in April. I’m hopeful that with my forced recovery lockdown, I can not only knock out the final revisions but possibly also manage formatting and a cover. I’m aiming for a December release if at all possible, though that would delay book six (a book that still somehow has a name) until late 2021, if then, although I have already started picking through it since book five is currently out of my hands.
Hopefully, this is good news to someone and I am optimistic I will be able to more consistently provide updates for September and October since I will be homebound for several weeks. Once again I hope everyone is staying as safe and as well as they can in these strange times and that anyone who has found themselves ill has recovered/is recovering quickly. 2020 seems to have had way too much fun causing chaos and we still have four months to go!
Meagan Hurst 