(Republished)
I’m republishing this because it still brings a tear to my eye when I think about it and because my nephew and I ARE working on a story!!
I never really know what to say when people ask me what I do. What do you mean what do I do…I do a lot of things, but I know they are asking me what I do for a living. I’ve slowly gotten used to saying “I’m a writer” thanks to HJ’s ever constant support, (although I’m sure I still get that deer in the headlights look on my face.)
About a week or so ago I was over at my sister’s house for dinner and family pow-wow when I slipped away to find my favorite little man. He was in his room watching a documentary on Noah’s Ark. What surprised me is the boy is nine and I’ve never met a nine-year-old that is interested in history like that. (I know they exist but are extremely rare.) Anyway, I sat down on his brother’s bed and started to talk to him. (It’s been a while since I’d seen him, so we were catching up,) And he asks me…”So what do you do all day? I know Aunt HJ works, but what about you?” Um…okay you can do this, “Well Ry I’m a writer.”
Now the really cool thing about this is… his eyes widen and he gets all excited, and says, “like real books, that are out in there in the whole world?” 
“Yeah…people can buy them from Amazon.”
“Are they hardcover?”
“Well, I know they are in paperback, and people can get them for the Kindles and Nooks, and stuff.”
“OH cool!! I wanna go see them at the bookstore!”
“Hm, I don’t know if you’d find them at the bookstore.”
“Does my mom know you write books?”
“Yeah,”
“That is so cool!”
Then he goes and grabs a couple of reports that he has written for school, complete with illustrations and cover. He tells me how he likes to write and how it would be cool to write a book. “Why don’t you?” “I don’t know,”
We continue to talk and toss around ideas that interest him, and I in an attempt to encourage him, tell him it would be cool to write a book with him. Talk about seeing a face light up! He runs to the dining room and rack that holds all his school supplies, grabs notebooks and pencils and markers and his dictionary and is ready to start. I leave him with some instructions to start coming up with characters and a plan to get together later to go over what he’s come up with.
HJ and I leave and I get a message from my sis, telling me how stoked he is to be doing this and how happy she is to see him excited about something other than XBOX. Guess who I just got a call from and who is coming over…
Never have I ever considered myself special or someone interesting, and yet today I am on the top of the world knowing that my favorite little man is eager to spend time with me learning a craft. I get to watch him develop his talent and watch his interest grow.
Tack that up to the list of ever-growing cool things about being a writer…
I’m off to learn what I can about zombies…
Thank you Ry for making me feel special, and THANK YOU C. for having such a special little guy.
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