What I Know *A Limited History*

This is what I know: I am sitting in yet another cafe, on yet another day, grading yet another essay. I do not like grading essays. I find my perfectionism gets in the way of the students’ general sloppiness and lack of care in their essays. Thus, I have to use mental energy to resist fixing EVERY problem in every essay. I do no like grading essays. I find they cause too much mental anguish on my part. Is this one an A? Why did this one get a B- and this one is a A? Do my comments make sense? What will they try to attack me on – errors, no matter how minor, when dictating grades, are found. I do not like grading essays.

A couple of guys are having lunch near me. They have house drawings and blueprints. I do not know what they are doing, but my mind is going to building some kind of apartment complex or condo building. This pleases me. I would like to get into real estate in some capacity. I wish I was talking about building something or flipping something instead of procrastinating on grading essays.

This is what I know: I went to Missoula yesterday to meet with the 25-year-old owner of a restaurant concept that I know will become greatly successful. I am good at knowing these things. I can spot trends. This restaurant will become a national franchise at some point in the next 20 years, mark my words. I want to get in on the ground floor, so to speak. I would like to franchise some of these restaurants. He claims to work about an hour a day at the one in Missoula. I would like to work one hour a day. I could use the rest of the day to write, and do film work, and build things. I would not grade essays.

I know Hollywood is volatile, and that a project’s status changes as quickly as the wind. I have projects, they are doing fine, none are dead. But they do change quickly. I spent yesterday trying to secure interest in the rights to another novel. After months of negotiations, I optioned a new TV spec script last week. I am working with screenwriters on notes to a script. I am trying to edit clips for a sizzle reel. I keep others abreast on a project with high profile people. I wish I could tell you more, but I can’t. This I know.

Summer is fast approaching, and I am ready for it. I am tired of planning, and grading. And grading essays (separate category because a different level of intense). Planning is like nit-picking every detail in an otherwise fabulous overall picture. I dislike details. Thus, I dislike grading essays. Details drown me in essays, and I refuse to fix them all. But summer is about freedom, and that is what I truly like. I know that I like freedom, because I like summer. I’ve always liked summer. But it helps the weather is warm. I could live somewhere with warmer weather year round. This would agree with me greatly. Actually, not even warmer weather, just a less cold winter weather. Does that still equal warmer weather? I fear it does.

I could be a literary agent, who writes, works in Hollywood, owns franchises to a restauratn, and owns a few buildings.

Or, I could teach in Helena, MT.

Or I could write.

Anywhere.

But I won’t grade an essay.