My great-grandma owned a typewriter, and when my family would visit relatives in Florida over Christmas vacation, typing on it was entertainment for me. On one visit, I typed an entire copy of Yoko Ono’s book Grapefruit. As kids, my brother and I had to write to a far-away relative every Sunday as one of our chores. At the time, it felt like an actual chore, but now, it’s hilarious to look through them and see what we wrote. I got a card back from my great-grandma once, thanking me for a drawing I had sent, and she added, “I don’t know if you are going to be a writer, an artist, or both.” God, I wish I had gripped those words like a life raft in fifteen-foot waves. If you receive any encouragement toward your goals, don’t forget about it like I did. Bottle it and let it buoy you in pessimistic, confusing, or disappointing times.
Photo: Platte River, as seen from Fort Kearny Recreation Area Hike-Bike Trail, NE