So it begins: The final edit and release of “The Day After” the story that immediately follows “The Longest Day” the story of the loss of my father when he was 50. The two stories were actually written four years apart, but the words of the second story burned inside of me until I had to let them go. I sat down at my computer on a cold February weekend in 2000.  Started writing Friday night, and finished Sunday morning.

The term, opening old wounds is appropriate as anything could be when it comes to putting hands on this story.  It transports me back to my 30 year old self and a time when my reality changed like a building collapsing on me. Taking on the task comes with obvious pain, so naturally, I commonly avoid opening it, but for some reason, last night, I opened it and just started editing.

Not much will change.  I do feel some immature 34 year old tendencies of using the words I and me when I should have been using the words us and we.  Grammar needed work of course and being detached just enough now, I can feel more of how the story reads and understand if it is getting across what I was trying to share.

The fact that I opened the story last night and just started editing stood out for me.  2023 was the year I reclaimed my heritage in writing and having released The Longest Day to the cloud, it was time for its companion story to join it. 2023 has effectively had the underlying theme: Finish the job.

It has been a year of finishing things and transition.  Seeing the results of all of the pushing of a car, such an apt analogy for me. Although, accomplishing a little more with the cars in our possession would be welcome too. I digress.

Here we go…onward through the fog.