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@mickeyhadick
presents
Harold the Car
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I drive a 1997 Oldsmobile 88. My daughter named that car Harold because it seemed like an old-guy car, and Harold seems like an old-guy name. (My apologies to any readers named Harold.)
Harold runs well but that's about all I can say about him. I replaced most of the major components over the past couple of years so now I am loathe to get rid of him. He has dents on the side, scrapes on the corners and only half of the dashboard is visible at night. At this point, Harold is like a family pet who is growing old and incontinent, but who we love too much to put down.
I don't care too much about the car I drive anymore. Reliability is more important than good-looks or performance on the road. Even when Harold has a problem, I don't think any less of him. I've dealt with so many car issues over the past 30 years that not too much worries me anymore.
My commute is 8 miles each way and so this car is perfect for that. But they sure don't make them like this anymore.
Because of its weight and its weakening suspension, driving this car is more like piloting a boat. It sways and rocks through turns and every bump in the road is like a wave slapping the hull. I take it on the highway occasionally but I don't push it past 73 miles an hour because the rattles grow to a discomforting level.
My writing is a lot like Harold the car. I've put a lot of miles on it, I've replaced most of my ideas about how to write, and there are dents, scratches, and corrosion showing all over it.
But I plan on driving this writing career until either all the wheels fall off, or I'm found dead at my keyboard.
Speaking of that, I'm a solid 30,000 words into a novel of a story I've working on for many years. It started out as a story about a trash collector and was inspired by my time on a garbage truck working for the city where I grew up. There were always lots of funny, weird or at least interesting stories each time we went out to stop I was hoping to capture some of that little thing.
Over the years though, the story I'm telling has evolved into a crime thriller and death of a young woman. Her surviving younger sister is unable to accept the official ruling on her sisters death takes up the investigation herself.
Once I have this novel in a readable form, I'll be looking for some beta readers to get a look and give me their reactions. Like the last novel I did this with, I'll be reaching out to you sometime in the next few months to find those interested parties.
In other news, I have plans for another crime thriller to write this year, and I have a screenplay and two TV pilots I'm revising. I will also write another screenplay this year.
Given all that, I'm going to be pushing my writing up and down the road just like how I ask Harold to haul my ass back and forth to work each day.
Meanwhile, here are some things you can do to check out my writing:
And forward this to kith and kin who might enjoy it. They'll thank you for it later.
Here are two books I've read this year that I heartily recommend because they are just good enough to recommend:
Thanks for your time and happy reading!
--mickey
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