Sometimes Life…

Hello and welcome to the first post on Sometimes Life... doesn’t turn out like you planned.

So, I am not a psychologist or a self-help expert. I don’t have any special degrees or any particular field of expertise. I am just another person like you – someone with plans and dreams, someone who worries about the future, and who’s made a lot of mistakes; someone who has had a few successes, but far more failures, and who’s had her fair share of slaps in the face, some quite rightfully deserved; someone with a growing number of gray hairs, a little too much weight around her midsection, and an exasperating, perpetual case of adult acne. I am writing this blog because I believe our lives are meant to be shared, and that our burdens are often made lighter simply by seeing our story in someone else’s. At pivotal points in time I have been left confounded, disappointed and even infuriated by the realization that my life isn’t what I thought it would be, and I’m betting you have felt the same way.

You should know that you won’t find any sure-fire formulas or any step-by-step instructions in these posts on how to make all your plans succeed, nor will you find a quick and easy way to overcome your disappointments. There are lots of books and blogs available on those subjects if that’s what you’re after. But I do hope you’ll find some assurance and comfort in the fact that you’re not alone in your travels along this wacky road of life.  Perhaps you will also come to see that it actually might be in your best interest that some of your dreams and plans don’t come true, or at the very least, that there is something instructive to be gleaned from every trial you face. I have found this to be the case for myself.

You should also know that, while I’m a Christian,  this is not a religious blog, and whether or not you are Christian makes no never-mind to me. I simply mention this little fact because my faith guides, informs, and influences just about everything I think and what I say. I have been a Christian as long as I can remember and my faith has gone through many transformations. I can say without equivocation that I’ve been nurtured and healed by it, but I’ve also spent many years doing battle with and running from it. Sometimes I feel like I’ve run from it and to it at the same time, and perhaps that’s exactly what I’ve been doing… No wonder I’m dizzy.

There are a couple more reasons I mention this faith thing: All of the genuine solace I’ve found for my struggles has come from begrudgingly acknowledging and/or implementing some little piece of truth or wisdom found in the marvelous nooks and too often untapped corners of the Judeo-Christian Gospel. Yes, that’s right my friends. I am, ultimately, a Believer – in mystery, in miracles, in transcendence and serendipity, and in the big fat truth that shit happens to all of us, sometimes for no good reason and at the very worst time. The best part about being a Believer is knowing there is Something Bigger in the universe than the mind of Kay Bess or (insert your name here.) Now that is a big load off my shoulders. Can I get a shout-out for that little piece of good news? Being the daughter of a preacher wasn’t easy for a rebellious girl like me, but it’s had its benefits… Having been spoon-fed the stuff from an early age, Scripture has followed me, stalked me, knocked me down and bit me in the ass so many times that now it just runs through my veins like a benevolent virus, showing up willy-nilly as answers to my random queries of life. So, I’m just telling you, it’s bound to bleed out occasionally into the words and on to the pages I write here. Come to think of it, the whole premise of this blog is based on the First Testament proverb “You may make your plans… But God has the last word.” That one tumbles around my head quite often… Anyway. You’ve been warned.

Each writer hopes her writing wields some sort of influence on her readers, otherwise, why write? Yes, I know, we creative types need to express ourselves… bla bla bla bla bla bla bla… But if that’s all it is, then why not just give a speech in the living room attended by overstuffed pillows and the family pet?  So, I admit that I hope to influence you – your thinking, your feeling, your perceptions. But if my writing doesn’t do any of those things, then I hope it will just put you to sleep. If you’re anything like me, you need more sleep, and really, I just want to help in any way I can.

Thank you for reading. Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or send me an email. I’d love to hear from you.

Kay

In: Introduction | | #