On Disappointment...

Mission: Success
Laurie's Journal

My big, sad news for the week? RWA Fail.

Let me clarify that does not in any way describe a failure on RWA's part.

The "fail" part is all mine...

A year ago, I made plans to attend Nationals in San Antonio after having to skip the conference in Atlanta due to demands of my day job. So for 2014, I ensured my leave time was slotted, my registration paid, our Golden Heart/RITA ceremony tickets bought (x2), The Golden Network Retreat registration booked, hotel reservations made, and my suitcase nearly packed, but...

Yeah, *sob* not going to happen.

It's dueling careers again, but this time it's not my day job that wrecked havoc on my plans, but my other job...raising Thoroughbreds.

Two days ago our barn managers (unexpectedly) resigned. And while we'd had a lot of issues with the level of care they were providing and so not a big problem to see them go as far as that aspect, the timing of their decision without the courtesy of giving us fair notice meant we're left with only one option...trying to find knowledgeable backup care at the height of vacation season. (And mainly feeling very uncomfortable about leaving the ranch for a week under these circumstances.)

This was a tough, gut-wrenching decision, but ultimately we had to recognize that RWA Nationals is just not in cards for us this year.

The writing is on the wall. It says: "You need to give this a pass."

Now comes the sad task of notifying my close peers and fellow Firebirds and Starcatchers who I had so looked forward to seeing again (including my co-blogger, Donna) that I'll be an absentee.

With all things writing, life just sometimes happens. (As my hero in The Outer Planets says in quoting John Lennon, "Life is what happens to us while we're busy making other plans.")

As writers, we learn to roll with the punches a lot, to accept disappointments and find a new path.

So it's sayonara, RWA, for 2014. I'll truly miss the experience and the camaraderie I was so looking forward to.

But it's time to pick myself up, dust myself off, and look ahead once more.

I may be scouting some other writers' or SF/R conferences this coming year, or possibly organizing a writer's retreat with a few close peers. To quote my favorite Vulcan, "There are always...possibilities."

Time to move on.

I just may have a very exciting announcement to make around the September 1st timeframe.

And it's looking to be a very busy fall and winter on the writing front.

Have a great week.

~~~ * ~~~