Dotsie-- I've been out all day. Otherwise, I promise I wouldn't have kept you in suspence about your dream. The significance is obvious. Can't believe you don't see it.

Despite your protestations to the contrary, you obviously want to levitate, fly--whatever--with the rest of us dreamers. Hence the elevator. But, because of your past experience, you hesitated just a second too long and didn't make it all the way into the elevator before the door closed on your arm. Your arm, still holding onto your dreamless past, but striving for a more dream-filled future, got stuck.

All kidding aside, I have no clue what other people's dreams mean. But it's fun trying to figure them out.

Rats. I spelled "suspense" wrong again. (I've made this mistake before.)

Prill,

Interesting about the mirror. I look in the mirror and see and ugly overweight 55 year old, who has dreams of grandeaur. I have a hard time believing in myself as a writer, even tho I have been published and paid and have a book out. Sometimes the perspective changes according to the day, today is a bad one. I don't know what the right thing to do is any more.

Sorry for my rant.

Sherri

Sherri--

No need to apologize. I always find that it's healthy to let my monsters out. They're like vampires; they lose their potency as soon as the sunlight touches their bodies.

I just went to your website again and looked at your picture. You're a radiant being, completely worthy of those dreams of grandeur.

As far as believing in yourself as a writer, you ARE a writer. You don't have to take it on faith. Of course, of all people, I understand that it's not that simple. Some days I, too, have a hard time believing in my gifts. My guess is that most writers do. There's a mysteriousness to the process of creating any kind of art that engenders insecurity--a sense that our creations simultaneously come from us and from something beyond us and out of our control.

Here's a true story:

A writing friend told me when I first started working on Defying Gravity that I would have days where I would be so despairing and feel like such a fraud that I would want to give back my advance and call it quits. (She was right.) She said a friend of hers had written an entire book minus the last two chapters when the doubt monster started gnawing at her feet. This woman actually DID call her agent. She told him that she wanted to pull out of her contract and that the book wasn't very good anyway. The agent listened to her rant and then told her to get back to work. The book won a Pulitzer Prize.

I'm laughing at you Sherri cause I've seen your picture and you couldn't be ugly if tried. Prill is so right. You ARE radiant. Not only that but you are the first to jump in and help others here on the board. Girl...believe in Sherri. WE DO!

Love ya, JJ

Sherri,
I too think you are radiant and wonderful. Self doubt is normal, I go through it all the time, but don't let it get the better of you.

Prill,
I love the vampire comparison! That's a great way to look at it.

Prill, I'm laughing at your response to my dream. HELP. I really want my sleep. Promise!

Speaking of doubt and fears...and forgive me if you think I'm always talking about God, but I can't help it.

I experience His grace daily. I too have fears, doubts, worries, and angst, but I'm working very hard at replacing ALL of those feelings with courage, strength, determination, and confidence in my relationship with Jesus Christ. He wants us to succeed, better ourselves, prosper, do well, and give Him the glory. When we can tap into His power we can accomplish whatever our little hearts desire.

Carry on boomer women with all that God has intended for you! And that means you too Sherri! Believe in yourself simply becasue you are worth believing in! Right ladies?

I agree with Smile. We like you just the way you are!

Me too! I like you just the way you are Dotsie. Sherri my friend, I think all of us have our "days" when we look in the mirror and go "WHOA! WHO IS THAT?!".....but we need to remember (and it's not easy when staring in a mirror) that INNER beauty is so much more "attractive" to people - outer beauty fades. You are a beautiful person and I mean that.