Conversations with Calliope- Openness to Experience

(San Juan Surf)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: On the mend finally. This cold just doesn't seem to want to let go.
CALLIOPE: What's up today?
JOE: Plenty. I have a full schedule and hope I have energy for it all.
CALLIOPE: For example?
JOE: I have yoga class at 10:30, lunch with a writer friend at 12:00, my daughter coming for help preparing her taxes at 2:30 and a funeral home to visit tonight.
CALLIOPE: Is that it?
JOE: No. I have some calls to make in between.
CALLIOPE: Any time for writing today?
JOE: I might be able to work on our book for a while.
CALLIOPE: How far are you?
JOE: I have finished our conversations through July.
CALLIOPE: That sounds good.
JOE: I'm glad I am this far. I try to work on one month each day. It should be finished next week, or at least the draft should. Talk with you tomorrow after I catch my breath.

Conversations with Calliope- Life and Writing Priorities

(Oatka Geese)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. You mentioned Joan Chittister's book yesterday. Any further thoughts about what she has to say?
JOE: I haven't finished reading The Gift of Years yet but so far I have read about her thoughts on the challenges and fears of growing old and look forward to reading her thoughts about the opportunities.
CALLIOPE: What do you think got you interested in this topic?
JOE: I just celebrated ( I was going to say "had") my sixty-sixth birthday. It seems like it crept up on me. Joan would say that people perceive us as old even if we don't feel old.
CALLIOPE: Do you feel old?
JOE: Not really. I have some difficulty with arthritis which I never had when I was younger.
CALLIOPE: So you're doing okay physically?
JOE: I can't complain.
CALLIOPE: What about psychologically?
JOE: I feel released from family and work responsibilities and able to set my own direction without anyone else getting upset about it. That's a freeing feeling.
CALLIOPE: What are you going to do with it?
JOE: I was thinking this morning that none of us knows how much life remains. There's no point fretting about it. Many people don't live as long as I have already.
CALLIOPE: So what challenge remains for you?
JOE: Right now, to use my writing to continue unfolding life's mysteries for myself and helping readers make the best of their lives for their benefit and that of others they encounter. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

(In the garden with Carol)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Restless.
CALLIOPE: What brought that on?
JOE: Yesterday afternoon I listened to a phone teleseminar by Steve Harrison about being perceived as an expert.
CALLIOPE: Did that make you restless?
JOE: One focus of the presentation was on deciding what is important and being passionate about pursuing it. I woke up this morning debating with myself about whether I want to be passionate about anything at this point in my life or whether I would just like to enjoy life for a while.
CALLIOPE: Does it have to be a choice?
JOE: Most of what I read indicates that it does. Being successful personally or financially is said to involve a passionate commitment to something close to my heart.
CALLIOPE: What would be ideal for you?
JOE: I would like to be able to share with others what I have learned about life and suggest alternatives to dangerous directions I see our society heading in. At the same time I would like to have some time to enjoy life after many working years.
CALLIOPE: So you want a compromise but read that it's not possible.
JOE: Exactly.
CALLIOPE: So what do you plan to do about it?
JOE: Find a way to reach this compromise in my way of life. How, I'm not quite sure. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

(Exercise in Astoria Park, New York)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Relieved.
CALLIOPE: On what account?
JOE: Because I finally decided I was spending entirely too much time on web site development. I was interested in web site optimization but everything else took a back seat including writing and editing. I realized I have other priorities.
CALLIOPE: Sounds sensible. What did you work on yesterday?
JOE: After I realized my morass, I worked on editing Marital Property.
CALLIOPE: And today?
JOE: I will be out for a while today. However I have a column to write and plan to make it a priority today.
CALLIOPE: What are you writing about?
JOE: I found a newspaper article about dirty tricks college applicants and their parents use against their competition, quite reminiscent of recent political ads. I thought I would write about the implications of such tactics for the author as well as for society and maybe some alternatives.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like a good topic. Good luck with it. Anything else going on?
JOE: I plan to continue working on editing Marital Property.
CALLIOPE: Is you website functional for now?
JOE: I think so. Why don't you take a look. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

(Mini Conservatory)
JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Fine. I'm ready to get going on my writing.
CALLIOPE: What did you accomplish yesterday?
JOE: Less than I hoped. I wrote my journal entry, posted our blog and finished my newspaper column for Saturday. I was ready to get going on marketing but decided to check my calendar first to see if I missed anything. I almost did. I had fifteen minutes to get to Rochester for an arthritis study appointment. Needless to say I was a bit late.
CALLIOPE: When you got back did you get to work?
JOE: Sort of. I had some shopping to do in Batavia and decided a bedroom wall needed to be painted before our new bed was delivered.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like distractions.
JOE: I suppose so. But I at least took a little time to think about writing priorities even though I did not make any concrete progress.
CALLIOPE: And your plans for today?
JOE: Fortunately I have nothing on my schedule. My first task will be to develop a list of tasks, priorities and time lines for my marketing activities (once again.)
CALLIOPE: Do you have any general plans.
JOE: Yes. My marketing efforts have been sorely neglected with the exception of sprucing up my web site. I plan to lay out specific marketing videos and get them recorded and posted by the end of next week on My Space and You Tube at a minimum. I am also thinking of posting them on my Sliding Otter website. I would like them available but don't want to slow down my Commonsense Wisdom website. That's my current plan.
CALLIOPE: Sounds good. Keep me posted.
JOE: I will. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Fine. I'm off to a good start.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about it.
JOE: I have been thinking that it's time to consider where my life is headed and whether I'm satisfied with my direction.
CALLIOPE: How far did you get?
JOE: Not very far other than having the idea. I thought about it this morning and remembered the guided journal, What Really Matters to Me by Robyn Conley-Weaver.
CALLIOPE: Did you complete the assignments?
JOE: No. I just started the journal. I think that was when I switched to a regular journal and eventually to our conversations.
CALLIOPE: So now what?
JOE: I will review the journal. I think it might give me a framework for re-evaluating where I stand right now and where I'm headed.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like a good idea. Why now?
JOE: Several reasons. I am planning a move fairly soon and I have been weeding out the detritus of my life- deciding what to keep and what to discard. That has brought to mind reconsidering my life direction. I also feel a little unfocused and sometimes overwhelmed by my daily activities. Time to get organized.
CALLIOPE: I'm all for it.
JOE: I plan to start this morning. I'll keep you posted. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Original Erie Canal Lock- Lockport, NY)

Conversations with Calliope-Dialogue with my Muse

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you this morning?
JOE: Plotting.
CALLIOPE: Plotting what?
JOE: How to best use the limited time I have available today.
CALLIOPE: What's limiting you?
JOE: I have a massage scheduled this morning. This afternoon I will be doing a police candidate screening in Buffalo. Tonight I am attending a neighborhood concert.
CALLIOPE: I see. So what do you plan to do with the time in between?
JOE: I have two priorities today. One is to outline a video promotion for The Pastor's Inferno. The other is to continue revising Marital Property.
CALLIOPE: At least you have a focus. Will you have more time tomorrow?
JOE: No. I will probably have time to talk with you but I am delivering Carol to the Oatka Festival Parade where she will march as a clown. Then we are visiting friends with a pool to make the heat more bearable.
CALLIOPE: And Sunday?
JOE: I might have some time then and can do some reading. I am continuing with The Poisonwood Bible as an example of first person narration.
CALLIOPE: At least you're keeping busy.
JOE: I am, but sometimes I feel scattered. I think I need to be more careful about planning my time. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Sculpture- Charlotte Beach, Rochester, NY)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: I guess okay but I'm feeling a little scattered.
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: I feel like I am going in quite a few directions and have some difficulty handling them.
CALLIOPE: For instance?
JOE: I have a column due Saturday. I wanted to write about sexual deviation but was not sure what to say. I sat down to write and it flowed easily. Thanks to you?
CALLIOPE: Yes. You're welcome. What else?
JOE: I was writing in my journal about all the things I have to do today. I have to post the column and then I have writing to do on Marital Property, a news release to get out for my presentation at Lift Bridge Books on March 30, my taxes to start, bills to pay. You get the idea.
CALLIOPE: Did you think of any ways to get organized.
JOE: Yes. I wrote down what I have to do today so I don't forget anything. I will also organize the piles of paper which surround my workplace.
CALLIOPE: Good start. Did you do any writing yesterday?
JOE: None other than the column. I plan to write another chapter today.
CALLIOPE: Good. Will I get to see the column?
JOE: I have an agreement with The Daily News to publish it there first. However I will post it on my website Saturday in case you want to see it.
CALLIOPE: Good. I'll be looking forward to it.
JOE: I better get going if I want to put a dent in my list.

(Raven- Tower of London)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning, Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning, Joe. How are you this morning?
JOE: Feeling rather busy. I went for a massage, made a card for Carol for our eleventh anniversary of being together and one for her brother and sister-in-law's recognition dinner tonight. I have also been working on booklets I plan to use as Christmas presents.
CALLIOPE: I guess you are busy. What about yesterday?
JOE: I started the day determined to find some agents who might be appropriate. It's a little complicated but I need agents who handle children's as well as adult books who have worked with my publishing friend.
CALLIOPE: Any luck?
JOE: No. I found some who had worked with him but they only handle children's books.
CALLIOPE: So now what?
JOE: I sent him an e-mail asking him if he could suggest any agents and that I would determine whether they worked with adult books if necessary.
CALLIOPE: Did you do any writing?
JOE: No. But I did finally call the film producer I know. I had not received a reply to my e-mail.
CALLIOPE: Any better luck with the phone call?
JOE: Yes. I talked with her most pleasant secretary. I should have called in the first place. She gets thousands of e-mails and it would have been better to call. Her secretary will let her know I called and we shall see what develops.
CALLIOPE: Do you have any writing plans for today?
JOE: I'm not sure yet. I have a few more things to do today and then have a party to go to tonight. Maybe it will have to wait until tomorrow.
CALLIOPE: I guess you were right about it being hard to regain momentum.
JOE: Yes. But my plan all along was to interrupt my writing when need be to pursue publication for my last book. Well, back to work.

(Grand Central Station from the roof of the Yale Club- NY)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning, Calliope.

CALLIOPE: Good morning, Joe. How are you this morning?

JOE: Off to a rather slow start. Maybe I am still a bit groggy from my recent trip. It seems hard to get started today.

CALLIOPE: What did you accomplish yesterday?

JOE: I started the next chapter of Marital Property but was not quite into it. I guess taking a break for a few days does not help with continuity.

CALLIOPE: No it doesn't. What else did you do?

JOE: I started doing some research to find agents who had worked with my publishing friend so I could ask him for recommendations to specific agents rather than leaving the work of winnowing them to him.

CALLIOPE: Kind of you. Do you think it is time well spent?

JOE: Yes. He is doing me a favor. It can only help to give him a head start if I can.

CALLIOPE: How's it going?

JOE: Rather slow. I found a couple agents but my research on them indicates that they work only with children's books. I plan to work my way down the list today and see if I can find any who might be willing to work with adult fiction.

CALLIOPE: Sounds like a plan. Anything else going on today?

JOE: Yes, quite a bit. I signed up to exhibit photos in a show at the arts council and need to drop them off today or tomorrow after I get them framed. I have a whole list of things to do. I better get started.

(Sunrise- Batavia, NY)