Wait for it.

Here’s some proof. It happened. I’m there at the bar, third image down if you look closely.

https://www.oregonlive.com/galleries/XCBRHT3FTFG6ZHEFDBCZJJ6ZBI/

My name got pulled out of a hat. I had to read first. The first story of the first Hindsight Open Mic Night. So I was struggling with my laptop, stammering the first few words, trying to find the glide path into the prose. Pen to pages, I’d been workshopping the story on the bus all the way from Eugene, then at the sandwich shop down the street. Then at the bar down the street from the sandwich shop. Then at Hindsight.  

Just 1000 words or so. I finally found my flow. Got a laugh or two. Great applause.

Chuck looked over at me and said: “That was fucking fantastic.”

So sweet of him to say it. Yeah, it’s a big fish story. Except it’s true.

I had to ride my bike all the way back to the train station, took the bus back to Eugene. The time spent to sit in a room with an author you love is always worth it. The edits are worth it. The story is called “Atomic Relish” and it’s not quite fit to print. Yeah, I know what Chuck said.

But I’m still working on it.