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Andrea C. Neil

Andrea C. Neil

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The Fuchsia is Now

September 16, 2019 Leave a Comment

It’s been a busy summer. In some ways, it’s zoomed by, faster than should be allowed by law. In other ways it’s seemed to last a very long time.

Do you ever feel like you are waiting for something, but you don’t know what it is? Yeah, like that. Hurry up and wait.

So what is it that I’m waiting for?

I spent four weeks in California over the summer, during which time I taught some private yoga classes, did some editing work, got to attend the premiere of Apocalypse Now Final Cut, spent two weeks at the beach, and drank coffee with my dad.

When I got back, I jumped right into teaching yoga and then released my third book, Beverley Green Finds True North, complete with book signing party at my favorite local bakery.

Sometimes—well, most of the time, actually—I don’t understand the significance of something I’ve written until it’s done, and I see it as a complete entity. Sometimes not even then. Sometimes it takes someone else telling me what it meant to them, for me to see what I have done. That sounds kind of sad, really…it’s either sad that I can’t see it, or brilliant that I can write something meaningful despite not being able to see it. Either way, I like hearing what other people get from what I have written. When I had a conversation with my Aunt Deepti (to whom the book is dedicated), she helped me clarify what I had written. In a nutshell, she told me I nailed our forties. So I can check that off my bucket list.

Beverley Green Finds True North is about getting to a certain point in your life and realizing that maybe it’s not quite as planned out as you thought it was, or should be. And that maybe a plan, in the traditional sense of the idea, isn’t necessary anyway. Maybe it’s about feeling your way forward, through and into a life that is as sweet as we can make it. Because honestly, if anyone else tells me that I need a life plan, I will slash their tires. Pretty ironic for someone who used to be in financial planning.

All of this makes me wonder again, why do I feel like I’m waiting for something? And what might it be, anyway? As one of my favorite illustrators, J. Otto Seibold, proclaimed in the title of one of his children’s books: The Fuchsia is Now.

One of my favorite yoga poses is Five-Pointed Star. You stand with your feet wide apart, arms outstretched. Feet root to the ground, arms reach up and out. The crown of your head reaches higher.

Many of us are conditioned to be small, to take up less space than we need or deserve. Whether we’ve been told we are small, or we simply think of ourselves as small as a coping mechanism, it happens. A lot.

When I teach Five-Pointed Star, I often tell people to “take up more space.” I tell them to reach higher, to make themselves bigger. And as I look around the room, I watch people grow, right before my eyes. It’s a beautiful thing and I never tire of watching it.

I’m not entirely sure how that’s connected to the rest of this blog post. I just write it down, you know? Maybe someday you and I will look back at this post, and it will all make perfect sense. At least I hope that’s the case.

As for what I’ve been waiting for…I don’t have an answer.

Maybe there is nothing to wait for.

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Filed Under: children's stories for adults Tagged With: am writing, genx

About Andrea

Andrea C. Neil is the author of the Beverley Green Adventures and Days Are Beautiful: 100 flash fiction stories. She's a Southern California native, currently living in Tulsa, Oklahoma. When not writing, Andrea teaches yoga and enjoys knitting, drinking coffee, and honing her introvert skills.

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Andrea C. Neil is the author of the Beverley Green Adventures and Days Are Beautiful: 100 flash fiction stories. She's a Southern California native, currently living in Tulsa, Oklahoma. When not writing, Andrea teaches yoga and enjoys knitting, drinking coffee, and honing her introvert skills.

My books on Goodreads

Andrea C. Neil's books on Goodreads
Beverley Green: Sasquatch Hunter Beverley Green: Sasquatch Hunter (Beverley Green Adventures #1)
reviews: 12
ratings: 17 (avg rating 4.59)

Beverley Green's First Territorial Christmas Beverley Green's First Territorial Christmas (Beverley Green Adventures #2)
reviews: 7
ratings: 11 (avg rating 4.73)

Days Are Beautiful: 100 Flash Fiction Stories Days Are Beautiful: 100 Flash Fiction Stories
reviews: 8
ratings: 7 (avg rating 5.00)

Beverley Green Finds True North Beverley Green Finds True North (Beverley Green Adventures #3)
reviews: 4
ratings: 9 (avg rating 5.00)

Beverley Green Comes Home Beverley Green Comes Home (Beverley Green Adventures #4)

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Sometimes I look at photographs I took in the early days of The Big P, and I’m profoundly moved. It was so emotional for me - and for many others, I know. Things are so different now. Not “the same as before,” but a new  same as before. I won’t ever forget those quiet, angst-filled days. The book I wrote during that time, “Days Are Beautiful,” is a work I’ll always be very proud of. 100 stories that are 100 words each. Like it was a teeny tiny way to control what was going on. DAB is available at all the book places, if you’d like to pick one up.

Sometimes I look at photographs I took in the early days of The Big P, and I’m profoundly moved. It was so emotional for me - and for many others, I know. Things are so different now. Not “the same as before,” but a new same as before. I won’t ever forget those quiet, angst-filled days. The book I wrote during that time, “Days Are Beautiful,” is a work I’ll always be very proud of. 100 stories that are 100 words each. Like it was a teeny tiny way to control what was going on. DAB is available at all the book places, if you’d like to pick one up. ...

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Part Three of the Ring Bling comes out next week to all newsletter readers!
What's next in the adventures of Griffin and G-ma? Let's just hope I haven't written myself into a corner...
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Part Three of the Ring Bling comes out next week to all newsletter readers!
What's next in the adventures of Griffin and G-ma? Let's just hope I haven't written myself into a corner...
Sign up to read it at acneil.com/newsletter - link in bio!
#bookworm #bookworms #booklover #booklovers
#booklove #booknerdigans #igbooks #bookish
#bibliophile #bookstagram #indieauthor #writer #shortstory #shortstorywriter #selfpublished #author #writer #writersofig
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Per her request, tonight I will teach Halley how to knit socks.

Per her request, tonight I will teach Halley how to knit socks. ...

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