Wednesday, July 14, 2010

A Look Inside Lydia Dare's Thought Process


Since there are two of us, whenever something comes up that we need to write -- be it a book, or even a blog, we usually chat with one another on the ‘net until we solidify our idea. We started chatting last night about an upcoming blog (this one) for the Casablanca Author’s blog, and we thought we’d show you what it’s like to be Lydia Dare. Here’s how it went:

[9:54:23 PM] Tammy Falkner: So, Jodie, what's your take on happiness? Do we have to agree on this thing? If so, that's about as likely to happen as moss growing on the wrong side of the tree.
[9:54:55 PM] Jodie Pearson: You don’t know which side is the wrong side of the tree, do you?
[9:55:09 PM] Tammy Falkner: Not a clue. But there's a right side and a wrong side.
[9:55:20 PM] Jodie Pearson: Well, the theme is the "pursuit of happiness". So that's kind of different than my TAKE on happiness.
[9:55:27 PM] Tammy Falkner: Told you we wouldn't agree.
[9:55:34 PM] Jodie Pearson: When do we?
[9:56:08 PM] Tammy Falkner: Never. I prefer doing it this way, actually.
[9:56:21 PM] Jodie Pearson: You do?
[9:56:42 PM] Jodie Pearson: It might be nice to agree every once in a while.
[9:56:43 PM] Tammy Falkner: Yeah, it saves my hubby from having me make up needless arguments just to tax HIS brain.
[9:56:59 PM] Jodie Pearson: lol
[9:57:02 PM] Jodie Pearson: So glad I can help.
[9:58:04 PM] Jodie Pearson: Do you have a problem with the PURSUIT of happiness?
[9:58:08 PM] Tammy Falkner: So, my take on happiness --- it's not something that you can pursue. It just sort of happens. And I do know that the more you pursue it, the faster that b*tch might run. Now tell me you don't agree.
[9:58:24 PM] Jodie Pearson: Well, i don't.
[9:58:29 PM] Tammy Falkner: Go figure.
[9:58:34 PM] Jodie Pearson: Big surprise, I know.
[9:58:57 PM] Jodie Pearson: I should probably tell you Thomas Jefferson is my most favorite president ever.
[9:59:12 PM] Tammy Falkner: Should that mean something to me?
[9:59:14 PM] Jodie Pearson: But I don't think it's foolhardy to try and find happiness.
[9:59:45 PM] Jodie Pearson: Yes, he wrote the declaration of independence, where our right to pursue happiness is mentioned. ;)
[9:59:59 PM] Tammy Falkner: I can't stop laughing!
[10:00:25 PM] Jodie Pearson: Pursuing happiness can be working in a job you love. Doing hobbies that make you happy. There's nothing wrong with that.
[10:00:39 PM] Jodie Pearson: Pursuing those sorts of thing won't keep happiness at bay.
[10:02:28 PM] Tammy Falkner: But the job that makes me happy today might not make me as happy tomorrow. (I love MY job, by the way, but we're speaking theoretically). The tinkle of my kid's laughter makes me happy TODAY. But tomorrow it might make me unhappy, particularly when you're asking me for pages and he’s tinkling like crazy as he bounces a ball off my forehead.
[10:02:50 PM] Jodie Pearson: Are you saying I nag you for pages?
[10:03:09 PM] Jodie Pearson: I mean I was getting ready to. I wrote almost 5,000 words today.
[10:03:11 PM] Tammy Falkner: On occasion, you have been known to nag...
[10:03:20 PM] Jodie Pearson: Only when I need to.
[10:03:31 PM] Tammy Falkner: I haven't written a thing, except for a skype chat about our happiness blog.
[10:03:51 PM] Jodie Pearson: Great! Are we done?
[10:04:10 PM] Tammy Falkner: Did we decide what to write about?
[10:04:35 PM] Jodie Pearson: You know, why don't we just take this chat and post it instead. It's on the subject after all.
[10:04:42 PM] Jodie Pearson: And it makes me happy to nag you.
[10:04:55 PM] Tammy Falkner: Undoubtedly
[10:04:59 PM] Jodie Pearson: lol
[10:05:07 PM] Tammy Falkner: Is that a word?
[10:05:09 PM] Tammy Falkner: Probably not.
[10:05:14 PM] Tammy Falkner: You can edit me later.
[10:05:19 PM] Jodie Pearson: Who cares? It's late.
[10:05:36 PM] Jodie Pearson: I have typos all over the place. So embarrassing.
[10:06:02 PM] Jodie Pearson: My fingers don't work as fast as my brain.
[10:06:05 PM] Tammy Falkner: Good, I'll get to edit you if we ever finish the blog.

Here’s a look into OUR pursuit of happiness, and one of the many things that makes us both happy is a completed manuscript, or even a completed blog. (And, yes, if you know us, you know it’s like this in real life and we’re not just trying to entertain you.) The pursuit of happiness comes naturally in some things, not so naturally in others. And you can find happiness in the strangest places. Even in the moss on the wrong side of the tree. Or when you read a quote by Thomas Jefferson. Or when you’re living, breathing, loving the people around you, and finding happiness in the simple things. Because those are the things that will continue to provide happiness.

So which one of us do you most agree with? And what makes you happy?

*Photo courtesy of Erin Kelly

Originally posted at Casablancaauthors.blogspot.com 7/13/2010

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