Wars and Picking up the Pieces

18.42

And the family saga continues...

Once upon a time (as many stories begin), a long time ago (as others do), I set out to write a blog, based on the notes I made in my journals. Both were to be the basis for a novel. A novel needs to be of a finite length in order to be of marketable size (around 250 pages: 120'000 words). Any larger and the physical size of the book increases and so therefore does the cover price; limiting sales.

I believe it was somewhere during the writing of Volume Four that I did a rough cast off and arrived at a word count of about 70'000. As Volume Five approaches the half way mark, we're probably on around 90-100'000 words. The end should be in sight but in fact, things are only really beginning yet another chapter in this tale.

My journals are merely an abridged version of the whole story. The blog is an edited version of the journals. The novel - should it ever come to fruition - will be a pared down version of the blog. The last 169 days have contained more than the rest of my life, some of it you wouldn't believe. I'd change it in a heartbeat. But then again, I wouldn't. It's like manic depression (which is one of the many things on my list of mental afflictions): it's heaven and hell alternating; bi-polarity. If there were a rewind button, would I press it? Yes. A pause button: sometimes I do. A stop button: no. Play on. Teach me life.

And I teach others. Often they don't listen: they're young. I forgive. The kids here are the teenage kids I don't yet have. And yet I do. They drive me crazy but I love each and every one of them as though they were my own. And they are. The fallen angel with broken wings who takes them all under his broken wings; the guardian angel. The one who - even though they don't always show it - the kids love and respect. They wouldn't be here without me. They're all getting better. And they all look after me as I do them: the old man.

As recently as tonight, words went unheeded, some of them went against advice and we had problems. Down to the old man to sort it out again. Literally like being a father to so many kids. Or rather, like trying to shepherd kittens. At least two new chapters to this tale have been opened because the family saga goes on.

The in-fighting hardly lets up and it's the old man who has to sort it out.

Wars and picking up the pieces.