What do I toss today? My writer’s corner in our loft is in total upheaval. We’re packing to move and my computer desk and bookcase next to it held what I thought were my writing necessities and a few other incidentals. But really? Let’s look.
Writing Journals
I opened up so many of my old writing journals and found poetry and ideas written years ago, but I didn’t finish many of those journals! What a waste! Probably twenty or thirty years ago, I decided to print my writing and had a spiral binder full, but now many of those poems and stories are all in books! So I tossed them, but I kept some poems I need to add to my new poetry series: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry.
Copies of my books
Proudly, I have a copy of each of my paperback books—a hardback copy of Flippo’s, Just Another Square Dance Caller: Authorized Biography of Marshall Flippo just for him. He wanted hardbacks, so I created hardbacks. In fact, it’s the only book I’ve written that has a hardback.
In which packing box will they end up in, I don’t know, but I remember opening the boxes with those original copies and bursting with proud! That first touch on the cover, then the flip through the pages and seeing my words in print overwhelmed me with joy.
I remember one major mistake I made in A Time to Grow Up: A Daughter’s Grief Memoir. I forgot to have a copyright page, so I printed it up immediately on label-like paper and stuck it to the back of the title page! What a disaster that could have been.
First Drafts
Today I thumbed my way through first drafts of each of my books with notes and revisions. I tossed them today. Why keep them? However, I did keep everything pertaining to my dad’s 75th birthday book, Let Me Tell You a Story, dating back to 1993. For some reason, I just couldn’t let go!
Occasionally, I have loved looking back at the first drafts of my books, feel the 8 ½ sheets of paper in my hands and marvel at the changes suggested by my writing group or editor. That’s one of the magical pieces of writing a book—the suggestions that turn into something magically. But, no, I closed my eyes and tossed all of them.
My motto this year because of this move is “Let go,” and it continues to come up! I dreaded packing up the my book stuff because I loved it so, but I decided now was the time!
Resources
What an amazing historical square dance library I have from writing Flippo’s biography! I have an amazing collection of books he mentioned when we were talking. In that collection, I have kept Bob Sumrall’s Do-Si-Do and Square Dancing Is Easy by Sam Justin in the cellophane wrappers they came in.
I gathered the following books and used them as resources:
- Betty Casey, Dance Across Texas, University of Texas Press (1985).
- Betty Casey, The Complete Book of Square Dancing [and Round Dancing], University of
- North Texas Press (2000).
- Bob Osgood, As I Saw It, Humbug Enterprises (2017).
- Bob Sumrall, Do-Si-Do, (1949).
- Jim Mayo, Step by Step Through Modern Square Dance History, (2003).
- John W. Jones, Square Dance Fundamentals, Jones Street USA, LLC, (1970).
- Lloyd and Dorothy Shaw, Lloyd Shaw and the Cheyenne Mountain Dancers.
- Lloyd Shaw, Cowboy Dances, The Caxton Printers, Ltd. (1949).
- Richard Severance, A Step in Time: The American Square Dance, (2018).
These books will remain in a box in storage and kept for sure.
Stan Jeffus scanned the pictures and articles in the scrapbooks Neeca made for Flippo and sent me a CD. What a resource that was! During our weekly talks, Flippo had the actual scrapbook, and I had Stan’s scanned pictures and articles in front of me on my laptop. So, we went through them together miles apart. They worked as sparks to our conversations with Flip telling stories connected to the picture or the article.
Non-Writing Stuff
Also, this bookcase housed other stuff. I loved going through old photos—where did the time go? What fun Lin and I have had! Cruises, trips and more. I did toss some of the photos but kept any I felt I needed. I found one treasure I had already scanned—my granddad burning cactus during the depression and drought of 1934 because cattle could eat it then. Here it is!
Finally,
To toss or not? I cleared out my computer desk. The bookcase next to it still has one and half shelves full. As I’ve wandered through my eleven-year writing career today, I almost choked up at all my writing—nine books! I never would have believed that twenty years ago I would have nine books and another on the way!
Let go!
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