Someone I don’t know who also obviously doesn’t know me sent me a little message, the gist of which was:
Don’t you think all this doll stuff is kind of silly and a waste of your time?
Yes, I absolutely think it’s silly! And I think being silly is often one of the best ways any of us can use our time. Being silly (after a year of coping with stress, physical pain, losses, writing a novel and working with Tim to find a home for our anthology on behalf of some superb writers, and dealing with enough changes and responsibilities to turn me into the She Bitch of the World on more than one occasion) is just what the doctor ordered. I mean, SERIOUSLY just what FOUR doctors ordered–and not one of them was a psychiatrist. Being silly with my friends may be what keeps me OUT of therapy.
My advice to anyone, including you, Person I Do Not Know, is to put more silliness into your life–and I won’t even charge you $.05 for this. The war, the economy, the cruelties and failings of humanity–I can’t fix these things. That admission reminds me of a day when I couldn’t see my mother because my back pain was so bad, and Tom did errands for her. As he was leaving her apartment, for no apparent reason, she said, “Tell Becky to stop trying to save the world.” Even with Alzheimer’s, she had wisdom and knew me so well.
While I’m being silly with dolls, I’m still taking care of my home and my work–not that it’s any of your business. And if you are creative at all, you already know that any process of creation relaxes and opens your mind to more creativity. I don’t sew worth a damn, quite frankly, and perhaps the reason I keep stabbing myself with needles while I’m trying is because my mind is preoccupied with ideas for what I will write next–and as fun as writing can be, I do take its process quite seriously–I just don’t take myself seriously. It’s an important distinction.
A few nights ago, another wise person, while shaking her head with a smile about the Runway Monday goings-on, generously said, “If more people were at home doing what you guys are doing, I’d have less work to do.” She educates people about hate in our society.
In fact, all the people in my life, whatever their own cares and concerns, do much to heal the world with their time, their art, their energy, their work–and with their silliness. I couldn’t be more grateful to know and be inspired by them.
I couldn’t agree with you more, Dr Cochrane. If Paul and I weren’t silly all the time we would have gone insane a long time ago…
Of course, insanity is the norm for a Southerner and a writer, so I fear that fate may be inescapable for all of us.
Right on.
There are people who’ve inferred that the books we write are silly and are a waste of my time, and wouldn’t my time be better spent getting a “real” job?
NO.
If you ever stop writing, I’ll track you down and do a Misery on you. And by track you down, I mean cross my back yard.
It’s a good thing that even people who don’t really know you are so worried about your productivity. *eye roll*
I’d hate to be so driven or boring or whatever that I could never do anything that was ‘silly’ or ‘a waste of time.’
I’ve known people like this. They have an incredibly dour and very narrow view of life to the point that they can’t see that having fun actually ironically plays a serious role in our lives in terms of keeping us healthy and sane, as Becky so eloquently pointed out.
Oh, yeah: I thought you guys doing Runway Mondays was just a brilliant idea. Be creative and have a lot of fun at the same time. Good for you!
Thank you, Jeff. =)
Two out of two springer spaniels and all their fans agree.
Being silly should be a priority in everyone’s life!
If you say things like that, Lisa will put them on a T-shirt and make you wear it.
I’ve got t-shirts that say worse. LOL One of my favorites: “Don’t worry, I forgot your name, too.” It’s fun to wear to a bar.
Apparently the person that you do not know does not know that there is a PRIZE involved, as well as an internship at Mattel Dress Designs, and the respect of of your entire Barbie collection!
I do it for love. And because I’m afraid of you.
What? Afraid of me? That’s silly … I’m all talk
That’s what dangerous people always want you to think.
Oh I think you have me confused with someone other person that hails from New Orleans… I’m not mentioning names but I think you knoqw who I’m talking about.
.05
I would even pay you for more than that! You go girlfriend! Wise person? REALLY? Sweet…..
Re: .05
Definitely wise.
I think everyone should be silly at least once a day. What’s a bigger waste of time, being silly or writing messages to strangers telling what you think about how they spend their time?
Oh, oh, I know the answer to this one!
Hi!! Hi, Becky!! You rock!!!
And you are Figaroyalty.
Creative people need creative ways to play. We can’t help ourselves. And in the end, it only makes us more creative. : )
And helps our back pain. 😉
I’m gobsmacked that anyone could think they know better than you how you should spend your time! Besides that, being silly is very important in life, could you imagine how boring things would be if we were all very mature and serious all of the time?? I LOVE Runway Monday and look forward to it each week. 🙂
Thank you. =)
Fiddle-dee-dee! I never heard of such bad taste.
*flounces away dressed as Scarlett O’Hara, toilet paper trailing from my dainty slipper*
I like your style.
I think that person seriously needs to get laid.
The ultimate cure-all. LOL
And then get laid humorously, too!
you tell ’em Becky!
We just got a new internal database at work for looking books, and today I was thrilled to see that A Coventry Wedding is listed!
Woohoo, thanks for telling me!
Can’t appreciate fun/silly?
Who is this person — Dick Cheney? Begone, Dick!
If I ever lose my inclination toward silliness, just let Dick Cheney take me hunting.
Just so you know, I’ve never seen Project Runway, but I am addicted to your version of the program. And you say you can’t sew worth a damn, but I have to say that your design defense for the dress with the raffia made me think you either know a heck of a lot about fashion or you’re amazing at making it up.
And yay for silliness. Sometimes when I’m depressed I watch the Menamena video from Sesame Street. Do you know about that? Supremely silly.
you either know a heck of a lot about fashion or you’re amazing at making it up
Do you know how grateful I am for Google?
Thank you. And I LOVE Menamena.
Oh bother! Silly “person you don’t know”! They think being serious all the time is mature, grown-up and sofisticated. I would bet they have to have a mind-altering substance to have fun.
What a blessing to have fun with silly things when you are…what? older? adult? Grown? Some of my favorites memories with late husband, children, grandchildren and friends are from doing silly things.
ROCK ON
Silliness is what enables us to be thirty-five for a long, long time. =)
“And I think being silly is often one of the best ways any of us can use our time.”
Well said, Becky! Absolutely!!!!
Thank you. =)