It was one of those days when I woke up feeling inexplicably happy.
It didn’t last, of course.
For when I opened my email, there it was: Another rejection.
Four Chambers Press doesn’t want my manuscript Heart, Hunger, Feed: A Memoir.
Yet, they sent me the nicest, most emphatic rejection letter that I’ve ever received.
It was, get this, 128 words. That might not seem like a very long letter but trust me, most rejection letters are brief and blunt. This one actually thanked me for not only submitting but for writing in the first place.
Of course it was a personalized form letter, but still it left me feeling a little bit good about feeling so bad (does that make sense?).
Whatever the case, it’s autumn up here in Alaska, even though it’s technically summer until the equinox. Still, the leaves are turning and the air smells fresh and crisp, the way it always does in the fall. We’ve been getting out as much as possible because we know that winter is only a step away.
When my sister was up from Philly last week we hiked Rendezvous Peak out in Arctic Valley, where I happened upon a stash of blueberries so divine I thought I’d died and gone to berry heaven. I couldn’t stop eating. I mean, I ate so many that I felt sick and still I couldn’t stop stuffing them into my greedy mouth. Fun times.
I read another amazing piece. Sometimes I’m afraid that I read too much and write too little, but how does one ever stop? This one is an essay in Catapult by Melissa Petro about her experience being propositioned by an older male writing instructor. Check it out here.
P.S. My little rant: I saw this on WaPo and it burns me up. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg is supposedly trying to end phoniness. “The days of you having a different image for your work friends or co-workers and for the other people you know are probably coming to an end pretty quickly,” he has said. “Having two identities for yourself is an example of a lack of integrity.”
Talk about using hypocrisy to sell your brand. Because, hello! Social media allows us to become someone else, to throw a persona out into the world that is better or smarter or more clever or better looking or maybe even sadder or more depressed than we actually are. Our social media selves are not our real and complete selves. This blog offers a very thin slice of who I am and what I do with my days. The same with my short Facebook posts showcasing my runs and hikes but not the hours I sit slack-faced in front of my computer waiting to be inspired. And trust me: I spend at least as much time slack-faced in front of my computer as I do running and hiking.
Me thinks that Zuckerberg is the one that lacks integrity here, no?
Cinthia Ritchie 
I don’t see how it’s possible to have our full identity on display on social media sites. If we did, we’d bore (or annoy) our followers to death. They don’t want to know everything. They just want to know what’s interesting and can be applied to their own lives. That’s my thought, anyway. But that being said, I think we need to strive to be as authentic as we can.
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I know! Imagine revealing everything about yourself on Facebook or blog posts. Who would want to read it? Ummm, no one. Yet, being authentic isn’t easy, not when so many people offer up only the best parts of their lives/themselves. It’s pretty much like high school, and I totally did not rock high school. Cheers and happy, happy.
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I like to pride myself on my invisibility in high school. In true introvert fashion. 😁
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One day introverts will rule the world, or at least the tiny world inside my head.
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And what about that crazy concept of privacy, Mr Z? And Mr Equifax?
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Totally. Privacy is a thing of the past and what gets me is how easily we have all given up the rights to our privacy. We’ve been seduced by shiny apps and social media outlets that don’t give a damn about anything but making a buck. Sad, and scary.
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Well put. I am really dreading what is going to happen to humankind. Really. I don’t want to be Debbie Downer, but I just don’t see a positive outcome out of all this. I mean, even my CATS crave some privacy. It’s just natural.
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Cinthia, write my story.
The black bear and the ultra runner
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I’d love to write your story, Karen! The funny thing is, I’ve been thinking of contacting you because I find the whole incident, and your attitude, so inspiring. I’m heading out for a run but will shoot you an email later this evening. Chat with you soon.
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How fun to come across wild (and delicious) blueberries! We once came upon some blackberries while hiking. So awesome. As for the ridiculous Zuckerberg comment – um, hello. That’s what social media is! Putting only your best “planndid” pics of yourself out in the world. (Saw that “planndid” word in an article or post about everyone’s “candid” shots they share – ‘oh, yes, i just happened to be casually leaning against this driftwood on this beautiful beach at sunset when someone snapped this shot of me!’) Reminds of this creepy “friend’ who kept messaging me – at one point he said “you always look so happy in all your pictures.” Um, yeah – it’s social media! Sheesh. Try living with me! lol
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