Don't Bury Your Talent

My husband asked me the other night if I was discouraged by the agent search yet. Fortunately my answer was no. I went into this only expecting letter after letter of rejection, so no matter what any agent tells me (good or bad), I know that perserverance is going to be my biggest asset.

And I suppose too that the part of me that reads a lot of books knows that I have something to offer people. I hope that comes across how I intend it. There are a lot of areas in life in which I have nothing to offer: speed skating, basket weaving, gardening, financial planning. Writing is my gift, and not only that, I am passionate about it.

My husband tells me I am a good cook. In fact he tells everyone I am a good cook. However, no matter how many times he tells me that, I will find any way I can to get out of cooking a meal. I have absolutely no passion for cooking, and even if I could whip up a meal like Julia Child, I still think I would prefer to eat out.

I really love writing. I couldn't think of anything else to do with my life. I worked at a gym for little pay for years just because it was as good as any other job to me. I didn't want a job; I wanted to write.

And I need the desire as much as I need the skill. If Anne Tyler felt apathetic toward writing, it wouldn't matter how skilled she was. She would find something else to do with her life.

When I got married, the sermon focused on the Biblical parable of the talents, a message my husband hasn't forgotten. He is always talking about how it doesn't matter how many talents God gives us if we decide to bury them in ground.

So, I'm trying not to bury mine in the ground, and I hope you don't either.