On the one hand I am a theater reviewer, and I've been busy filling in my Thursday and Friday schedule with reviews of wonderful summer theaters all over the state of Michigan.
On the other hand, I am an author and I'm swamped with book signings, preview parties and sales events for my latest book, Full Moon Friday.
And then along comes the dulcimer workshop. I spotted the workshop at Interlochen and sighed with envy. Learning to play the dulcimer has been on my bucket list since before I had a bucket. I bought a dulcimer 15 years ago but never learned to play. I toyed with it a bit the first few months, but mostly it has sat in a case. In the back of the closet. Unseen. Unused. Unheard.
I'm so busy in June, how could I fit in another thing?
I put off signing up for the workshop and the next time I checked it was full. I was so disappointed. I put my name on the wait list, but I figured it was for the best. I'm really too busy. I squeezed in a whirlwind week in France, launched a church cookbook project, and drove two states away to visit my new grand nieces ... all while processing the final proofs of Full Moon Friday in my spare time.
Now, the proofs have been approved, the first book is delivered to the library and a shipment of books for the kickoff is on its way. I'm packing for a quick trip to Colorado for grandkids graduations. And the email comes.
The waitlist.
There's an opening in the dulcimer workshop.
Do I dare?
I prayed about it. That part of my character Josie is true to me. I pray for answers. Doesn't everyone? This time I prayed and picked. I got out the dulcimer and tried picking out a tune. Shoot, I tried tuning it to little avail. But I made a some music and it gave me a little smile.
I'm going to that workshop. It will mean reviewing a play on a Thursday night, driving 2 1/2 hours to Interlochen on Friday and spending the evening with my beau Steve. I'll be in the immersion workshop all day Saturday and drive back to Grand Rapids that evening so I can get up the next morning and drive 3 1/2 hours to Chicago to spend the day selling books at the Printers Row Lit Fest. I'll drive back to Grand Rapids that evening and fall into bed no doubt. .
But I'll be a little bit closer to being able to play a dulcimer.
And that makes me smile.
It makes me smile for you, too. (But I will be praying for protection and traveling mercies during your marathon of driving destinations!)
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