When’s the last time you kicked back? 
I’m in Flagstaff Arizona for the weekend with the hubby, a 2 1/2 hour drive north from the heat sink of Phoenix. Some people are beach people. I thrive in mountains, trees and cooler weather. Being so fair, I can’t tolerate sun for very long, which means most of the Phoenix summer is spent indoors.
Sometimes you just need to slow down and take a break. Slowing down does not come naturally to me. I work full time as a legal assistant. I love my job, work for wonderful people and it took me a while to find it as it was a re-career move for me just as the economy tanked. At the same time, like a true Gemini I can never do only one thing. The kids are independent now, so nights and weekends I’m determined to finish Henry’s story, and through it introduce others to a story of survival, and a piece of history they probably don’t know. I’ve certainly
learned a lot in the past year. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a year since we flew to Poland.
People keep asking me “when are you going to finish??” Well, a full-time job limits the hours in a week available for writing, but also funds the project. I’m on another rewrite that promises to be the best yet, as well as triple-checking my sources. In August I found a surprising 100+ documents with Henry’s name on them from Buchenwald that definitely added a new depth. I made great contacts at a writing conference in August that hopefully will propel me forward. I’ve already accomplished my initial goal. By starting this blog and writing near daily fortwelve months, I am no longer the only person alive with these stories. Imagine being entrusted with a single story – if you don’t tell it, it’s lost forever. Had Inot saved Henry’s papers and documents, they’d be lost forever, thrown out by family members who had no clue what they had. When I think of how many other potential stories could be lost in the same way, I’m more committed than ever. There aren’t many survivors still alive.
Currently I’m drafting an article for a national magazine that isinterested, and am looking for other venues to write for. I’m getting my writing mojo back after a hiatus of several years. Pleasestay tuned for more stories. A new web site is under construction that will expand what this blog has started.
When’s the last time you kicked back?
