Pivoting Can Be a Good Thing

 Post by Doris McCraw

writing as Angela Raines

Photo property of the author

As we move toward a less restrictive world, I wondered what this post would look like? Would what I did and thought about during the past year of dealing with a 'pandemic' have changed me? Like many, I questioned myself about how productive and creative I'd been. A New York Times article about Brie Larson, of 'Captain Marvel' fame, and her 'pivot', solidified the topic of this month's post.

First, I set some ground rules for this retrospective. 

1. Beating yourself up for not being perfect is not allowed

2. Apologizing for doing things you're proud of. It's not bragging

3. Passing judgement on others who chose a different path.

So having set the parameters, here I go.

I was lucky to continue working part-time from home and then when we opened the Visitor Center, I had employers who did their very best to make sure steps were in place to ensure not only my safety but the safety of those walking through our doors. At the same time, it did cut into some of my 'creative' time.

Photo property of the author

I chose to take advantage of not only my surroundings but to share them with others. I've always enjoyed the outdoors and this gave me the opportunity to get out, walk/hike, and take photos of things that caught my eye. Believe me, I have trails that are stunning within a mile to ten from my front door. I am so thrilled this year afforded me the chance to realize how blessed I am.

Did I miss seeing friends? Well, to answer that question is a bit tricky. I call myself a highly functioning social introvert. Given a choice, I would prefer my own company and that of my pets to the outside world. At the same time, when I am with people, I truly do enjoy it, I'm just tired afterward. I will say, Zoom, despite the ubiquitousness of that platform, gave me the chance to participate in conferences and classes I would not have been able to attend in a regular year.

Photo property of the author

What about creative endeavors? Without being able to meet and write in person, I spoke with others in my Thursday writing group and we pivoted to an online Facebook model that is still going strong over a year later. The first novel is not completely edited from the first draft, but it's close. Two others are also well along to having a first draft done. 

I started doing author interviews for another blog and I truly do enjoy sharing with others what these amazing writers have to say. 

I've also learned that movement and learning are important to me. I've dug deeper into history topics that excite me. I started learning Spanish online thanks to Duolingo that I started just as the pandemic hit. For those who wonder, I'm still doing daily classes.

Photo property of the author

I've realized what my mother meant when I was speaking enthusiastically about how I'd changed after I left home when she said to me "No, you just remembered who you were." For me, this past year has been the chance to get to know myself better and follow some dreams I've had for some time. I guess the 'pivot' was a good thing for me.

And for fun, as the 'Hot' days of summer arrive, sit back, grab a book, and enjoy the day!

Amazon

Doris Gardner-McCraw -

Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History

Western Writers of America,

Colorado Author League,

Women Writing the West

Angela Raines - author: Telling Stories Where Love & History Meet

Books: Angela Raines Books

Website: Angela Raines - author

Post (c) by Doris McCraw,  All Rights Reserved

AS I PONDERED

Post by Doris McCraw
writing as Angela Raines

As I pondered what I might write about this month I decided to take a look at my walk/hikes, research, and writing to see what I could find.

A trail in Garden of the Gods
photo property of the author

As most know, I've been getting out on the trails and in the parks during this time of physical distancing. I'm fortunate that I have so many options available close to me. Although I try to combine errands with the walks, sometimes that hasn't been possible. My journeys have taken me over some challenging terrain and through fascinating cemeteries. The current novel has my heroine having to walk out of the area where she and her party were attacked. The trails in CMSP and Garden of the Gods are just the right kind of terrain she may have had to journey across. Talk about being able to be realistic. The trails are heaven, though somewhat challenging, and I get to use my experience in the story.

Landscape and trail in CMSP
photo property of the author

The cemeteries are a wealth of names, dates, and stories in stone. One stone told of how the couple met at a river here in Colorado, fell in love and married. Many times I can follow the stories of these pioneers via Ancestry, City Directories, Newspapers, and Google Books. Another couple I located were early pioneers in the Bijou Basin just east of what is now Colorado Springs.

Did you know Melinda has sometimes been spelled, Malinda? How about Charles N Green, born in Illinois in 1856 he had later moved to Colorado. In 1900 his occupation is listed as a mining broker, and he and his wife Mary had a three-year-old son. Both were forty-one at the time of birth if the math is correct. Christine McIntosh dies of uterine cancer at the age of sixty-four according to the death record I found in on the library's research website. She had been born in Canada but that's all I've found on her at this time.

Headstone in Evergreen Cemetery
Photo property of the author

My heroine is a doctor and in my research, the story of an early Colorado Springs doctor fits the profile I have of Pauline. (Her name at this time). Researching Esther's ancestry, her marriage, and information gleaned from papers and other sources is a way to add veracity to the story.

Sometimes I have found pieces written about people or an area in Google Books. The history of the Arkansas River Valley in Colorado is a rich source of what life and the land was like in the 1870s. I also found the autobiography of Harriot Kezia Hunt, an early doctor in Boston. It is called "Glances and Glimpses ..." and was published in 1856. A book published in 1912 even states she was the first woman to practice medicine in the United States, having opened a practice in Boston in 1835.

So you see my pondering and wanderings do lead to some interesting information. The last few months of 'staying away from people' has had its silver lining. And, yes, I am still out on the trails, still reading, still writing and still digging into the stories of those who came before me.

Triple Threat Trail in Ute Valley Park
Photo property of the author

The above photo would have been what my hero and heroine in my first novella, "Home For His Heart" might have had to traverse.

Here is a very brief excerpt:

     “Sam, Sam, saddle up.” shouted Paul. “All hell has broke loose. Where are you?”

     “I'm here by the barn,” answered Sam. “What do you mean all hell broke loose?”

     “Saddle up and I'll tell you on the way.”

     Riding toward town, Paul explained. “Shortly after you left this man came rushing into town, how he managed to stay on his horse is amazing. He was talking about dangerous men, warning, fire. It was hard to understand what he was saying. He was in bad shape.”

     “Any idea who he is or where he came from?” asked Sam.

     “No, and that isn't all. It may be coincidence, but as we were taking him to Sally's, Fred came staggering out of Clara's house. Said someone hit him and Clara's gone missing,” said Paul.

     “What do you mean missing?”

     “Sam, I mean Clara is nowhere to be found.” Paul stated. “I headed to Clara's and the house was in shambles as if there had been a fight,” said Paul.

Amazon

Doris Gardner-McCraw -

Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History

Angela Raines - author: Where Love & History Meet

Books: Angela Raines Books

Angela Raines FaceBook: Click Here

Website: angelaraines.net