It has happened. Not often, but the pain is great. I\u2019ve lost a book. Maybe on a bus or somewhere public and irretrievable. The story is lost.<\/p>\n
What happened to those people? I was involved in their lives.
\nDid they fall in love?
\nDid they find what they were looking for?
\nDid they get the prize?
\nDid the boy finally notice her?<\/p>\n
It matters to me. I know it\u2019s just a book. They aren\u2019t real people. But the author is taking me on a journey and it\u2019s incomplete. When it\u2019s cut off it feels like an amputation.<\/p>\n
There are real people in my life too. That\u2019s totally different, right?<\/p>\n
Not really.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve written before about the social contract. When I have become involved in a person\u2019s life, I want to hear about the plot development.
\nHow is your puppy\u2019s house training going?
\nDid you decide to go back to school?
\nIs that neighbor still being creepy?
\nDid your kid try for the play\/orchestra\/beauty pageant? How did it go?<\/p>\n
WHAT HAPPENED?<\/p>\n
I want to know! I care about you and your life now. Sure, characters in a novel are more dramatic and the plot lines are usually spectacular. But I care about real people even more.<\/p>\n
This is that time of year, when all the plot lines are updated.<\/p>\n
\u2018Tis the season. A new season! All the Christmas letters come in. There are some with very thin updates.<\/p>\n
Not much more than a signature. E. is still alive and she likes me enough to send me a card. That\u2019s nice!<\/p>\n
Others send pictures. Ooh. She has glasses now. My goodness! The kids are so tall!<\/p>\n
K. got a dog. And she\u2019s still at the same house. She loves that house.<\/p>\n
Some send letters. The letters require some interpretation. Is the author a reliable narrator? Is there something between the lines? Are they happy? Are they happy with the facts of their life?<\/p>\n
The classic look-at-my-successful-life tone for Christmas letters of yore spread easily into the social media environment: fabulous filtered selfies, vacations and accomplishments.<\/p>\n
This year I\u2019m behind on my Christmas letter. It\u2019s 2020. Not a lot of fabulous to report.<\/p>\n
My filters have never been that good anyway. My \u201cwonder\u201d is more about wondering than wonderful.<\/p>\n
I have been wondering how everyone is doing. I am glad to see the faces, the ones I\u2019ve known so long. It\u2019s okay that most of us are grayer and chubbier. I don\u2019t want to lose the story.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll send my update soon. I don\u2019t want to leave anyone hanging.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It has happened. Not often, but the pain is great. I\u2019ve lost a book. Maybe on a bus or somewhere public and irretrievable. The story is lost. What happened to those people? I was involved in their lives. Did they … Continue reading