Grandpa Reads The Comics...

 I LOVE a good success story. It helps restore my faith in humanity, and we all know how much we all could use more of that right about now. A success story is what I call the YouTube channel, Grandpa Reads the Comics...

A success story that's growing.

A few days ago my friend posted something on social media about her father and the incredible success his channel is having on YouTube. I'm a little ashamed to say that my first thought when reading her post was, "That's cute." Then, I checked out the site.

It's more than cute. It's a sensation.

When I checked the YouTube site a few days ago, the comic-reading grandpa had 97k subscribers. I just checked today and it's up to 237k. I can definitely see the draw. The videos are shot, sweet, and to the point. Grandpa reads a comic, then gives an inspirational thought. And I know why it's successful and growing. We need to hear these things. We need to know there's someone out there concerned about us. 

The fact that so many don't have people in their lives telling them these things is sad, but I'm glad Grandpa is filling that void, even if it's on social media. There's definitely a need for more of that.

If you want to check out Grandpa Reads the Comics, click: HERE to access the YouTube link. Good for you, Grandpa! You're doing something amazing.

Writers Cantina Presenter Spotlight: Jana S. Brown...She Loves The Written Word

 I've never read any of Jana's books, but from doing a little research, there's one thing I can say about her...

She loves the written word.

I mean, she must considering how much time and effort she's put into writing, editing, collaborating. To do that, you have to be dedicated to the craft. Otherwise, you'd throw in the towel a long time ago. 

In exactly 79 days, Jana will be among other writers and editors gathering at the Writer's Cantina writers convention, held on July 8th, 2023 in West Valley City, Utah. You can learn more about the convention by clicking on her webpage on the convention's website: HERE. You can also access Jana's Amazon page by clicking; HERE.

What I've found while researching these presenters is a kinship, common bond among writers. When I see the number of titles, the collections under her name, I respect what she's done. It's not easy to create that amount of work.

If you go to the conference, you'll learn more about her and the other excellent presenters scheduled to attend. I hope to get to know them better myself.

Stormy Days Ahead...

We have endured one of the longest winters/cold wet weather in recorded history. We shoveled so much snow we wore out snow shovels, winter gloves, and our patience. With billions of gallons of water still in the mountains waiting to come down, we exist in limbo--the bad has come...

But, is it gone?

I think we're in for stormy weather.

And I'm not just talking about the snowpack.

I've lived in Northern Utah most of my life, save a couple of years. Almost as far back as I can remember, I knew that our region is due for a big earthquake, and by "big," I mean devastating. Earthquakes have always made me nervous, but not nervous enough to live somewhere else (mostly because no matter where you go, some sort of natural disaster can wipe you out...). 

Even though I don't think about earthquakes all the time--almost never, actually--it's always something buried in the back of my mind, a darkness that exists.

The same can be said about our society today. We live our lives, day-to-day, we go to work, to the store, to church, to the movies, the whole time something evil exists, something that will change our lives and the lives of our posterity forever. Because of the choices being made now, we may one day soon wake up and there will not be enough medicine, electricity, clean water, food...help. It wouldn't take much, really. Cut petroleum yields and the country literally shuts down.

Of course, none of this may happen. People have prophesied doom and gloom for as long as there have been people. There are things, however, that history can teach us. We have the advantage of seeing the building and fall of civilization after civilization so we should know the caused of these falls and how to make sure they don't happen again. So why is the world looking more and more like the world in the 1930s?

I do not have the answers, except to say we are a society today that seems to run not on oil, but hate. It seems to be the main ingredient for most public policies and the rule of law. And if that doesn't change, we'll one day look back at today and say things were so much better back then.

Yes, maybe those dark days will creep from the shadows and punch us in the face. I believe stormy days are coming. Time to prepare. 

The Liberty Idaho LDS Chapel...Amazing

I saw the building at a distance as I drove Donk the Subaru though rural Southeastern Idaho. I'd seen the building only once before...a church on the small town's main road (appropriately enough named Church Street...). On the way in I admired it as I drove just under the posted speed limit. But on the way back...

I stopped and took a picture.

Maybe it's because I attended a historical church growing up, and I attend another one now.

Unfortunately, I was unable to go inside and look around. It might have been opened on a Saturday morning. Maybe some 20 - 30 somethings were playing a pick-up basketball game in a vain attempt to capture lost youth, or maybe some families were inside fulfilling their promise to help clean the building. 

But, this is in a rural area where members of the congregation may have morning chores and no one was there. When I drove passed in the late afternoon, the chances were most likely slimmer anyone was there. Too bad...I'm sure it's fascinating inside.

What I really would have liked to do was meet with someone who knows the building's history, knows what the community was like before it was built and what it meant to them after its dedication. Those stories are amazing. You can know and understand a people by looking at what they build and what they feel is a priority.

I don't know...maybe one day I'll step inside the unusual church. Then again, even if I don't, just seeing the building atop the crest of a small hill conveyed something to me...

Something good.

The First Author Signing Event Of 2023...Is In The Books

 My phone said the drive would take around two hours...two hours from my small town to an even smaller town in southeast Idaho.

And I was relatively close.

Last fall I spoke with another author who lives in Montpelier, Idaho. I first met her when her family lived in Utah County, Utah, but they moved north years ago. I got an e-mail asking if I'd like to participate in an author signing event mid-April of 2023. I said, "Sure." Always nice to be invited and I generally enjoy hanging out with fellow authors. There are things all authors share (like being a little insane...) and being together is an uplifting activity.

I made the drive, stopping only at Costco to buy some candy (to lure in potential buyers...) and I made the drive in just under two hours. To be honest, the "Flooding Warning" on my phone and the "Road Closed Ahead - Local Traffic Only" sign as I entered the road taking me over the pass had me worried, but I trusted GPS to not lead me into a flood. Thankfully, I had an uneventful trip...there and back.

Montpelier is a human oasis in a land void of others. Last year my wife and I drove to a community just west to attend a family funeral. You could see Montpelier from the hillside cemetery. This time I drove all the way into town. A movie theater was showing The Super Mario Brothers Movie, storefronts, gas stations...the basics to keep the residents alive lined the street as I made my way to the event.

I sold a couple of books, which is good for me. It certainly didn't pay for the gas to get me there, but I sort of knew I'd be losing money when I took it on. The best part was meeting the people and letting them know that they mattered to a bunch of writers. They were worth our time.

My friend who invited me and who organized the event sent out an e-mail yesterday thanking us for coming. She admitted the numbers were down from the event held the year before, mostly because the community's had such a hard winter that the weekend was one of the first times all the roads leading to and from were clear for people to finally run their much-needed errands.

I've done a fair author signings in my day, more than some, not as many as others. This one was special, even though the sales totals weren't stellar. There are other reasons to do these, after all.

Give Thanks...Less Contention

 The leader of the religion of which I am a part spoke to us two weeks ago. During the two-day event leaders of the church give talks with instruction and encouragement. One talk hit close to home.

Be a peacemaker.

The world needs less contention.

In the talk President Nelson asked us to be less contentious with our social media interactions and other interactions as well. He stressed the importance of being a peacemaker. As I listened I thought of a few people I know who could be a little less contentious online. President Nelson then said that as we listened to his counsel, we might be thinking of others who would benefit from his words. That caused the audience to laugh...

Myself included.

No way he was talking to me because I go out of my way to avoid contention online. My posts are "vanilla" at best. 

But then, I re-thought his message. He was dead-on talking to me, because even though I don't post things, boy do I feel them. I'll read a post on Twitter or Facebook and the fuming begins. I think of many things to post--total destructive zingers guaranteed to render all other opinions obsolete. I think them, and sometimes I've even gone so far as to write them out, but when it's time to hit the "Post" button, I chicken out--mostly because I know it will do absolutely no good. My opinions have never been changed because someone basically yelled at me their opinion. Why should I think my opinions would do anything different?

I need to be less contentious in my life. I need to not think of argumentative things. If that means abandoning social medial all together, then that's what I should do. I'm grateful for the advice. Now, all I have to do is follow it.

These Suckers...Are Evil

 I swung by Costco this morning and picked up two packages of candy. I needed candy to lure potential customers to my book booth at a book fair I attended today. With other authors all vying for the limited buying pool, I needed an edge...something irresistible...something like...

Ghirardelli chocolate.

Yes, they were for last week's Easter, but six-day old chocolate is not a deterrent in my book. I've eaten chocolate much older than six days.

So, why call it evil? I mean, it's just a bewitching combination of ingredients in proper amounts that when added together created an almost hypnotic concoction...something you cannot resist, cannot control. Of course, I'm talking about myself here, but from the reactions of my children, I'm not the only one (maybe it's a genetic anomaly...) that's loves the stuff.

At the book fair I placed the candies strategically in front of the books and like pollen to a bee, it drew them in. Now, I'm not saying the candies was the main reason for my success, but I'm also not saying it, either.

In many ways I'm happy Easter Candy is only available four months out of the year...it's already evil. Why make it more dangerous?