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| Author Bonnie McCune |
Win Bonnie McCune's book,
Falling Like a Rock.
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3. Expires 8/2/14. Good luck!
Balance
becomes a challenge as we age. I read articles warning me that one in three
adults over 65 fall each year, and as I grew older, I sensed I was shakier on
my feet. So naturally, balance moved to the top of my physical fitness list. I
obsessed over it, a normal reaction for me.
Top of the list was standing on one foot each time I brushed my teeth. This hasn’t helped. If anything, my wobbles and grabs for the vanity increased. Neither has Zumba dance class, which I began taking in the hope it would help. After several years, I’m still the only participant who can’t lift one foot off the floor and extend it while maintaining a position. And pausing at red lights to hover with a raised leg has only put me in danger of falling in front of a passing car.
This
struggle makes me wonder about balance in life generally. It’s touted as a
stress-reliever, a life enhancement, but we have a challenge implementing
equilibrium between mind and body, work and family, spiritual and secular, self
and others. Particularly given the approval awarded to successful people who
work twelve hours a day, or students laboring under the immense 40-pound
backpacks they all seem to carry, or the billionaire business leader squashing
competitors right and left, or the model starving herself for her career.
Bigger always seems to equate with better.
This
is balance? ‘Fraid not. A complete rebooting’s required.
Although
we pay lip service to the concept, achievement of it requires several steps.
First, recognition that something is out of balance. Second, ability to see how
we can change. Third, willingness to search, even fail in our journey. Fourth,
strength to change.
Find
examples of this progression in people around you and in books. My new novel, Falling Like a Rock, features Elaine, a young woman struggling to
find balance in her life, although she’s not aware of that. Believing she needs
to be perfect, at the same time trying to please others, including hero Joe
Richter-Leon, she battles an eating disorder, romantic misunderstandings, and
personal conflict before a raging wildfire forces her to focus on what’s really
valuable.
My
inherent indolence and distractibility help me work toward balance. Because I’m
lazy, I don’t get carried away with constant exercise. Because I’m easily
bored, I’m not obsessed by reality television. And books, both the reading and
the writing of them, provide constant change and challenge.
The
recent death of a friend underscored for me the importance of balance and
living each day fully. I was reminded how fleeting our existence and how valued
our senses, experiences and thoughts should be. For me, the path to this appreciation
comes first through awareness, being outwardly directed, then internal
interpretation through writing. The challenge, as always, lies in balancing the
two.
Stay
balanced,
~Bonnie McCune
Unloved
and unemployed. That’s Elaine Svoboda, after she’s sacked, then flees across
country to her boyfriend who drops her flat. Teetering on the abyss of
disaster, she calls an old friend who invites her to a tiny mountain town with fresh
prospects. There she meets rugged, hunky Joe Richter-Leon, mayor of Falling
Rock.
Funny and frank, poignant and perceptive, when two people are “Falling Like a Rock,” they learn surrender sometimes means victory.
Funny and frank, poignant and perceptive, when two people are “Falling Like a Rock,” they learn surrender sometimes means victory.
About Bonnie
Bonnie McCune lives in
Colorado and is the author of novels, novellas and short stories. A writer
since the fifth grade, her interest in the craft led to her career in
nonprofits doing public and community relations and marketing. Simultaneously,
she published news and features as a free-lancer.
Her civic involvement includes
grass-roots organizations, political campaigns, writers’ and arts’ groups, and
children’s literacy. For years, she entered recipe contests and was a finalist
once to the Pillsbury Cook Off. A special love is live theater. Had she been
nine inches taller and thirty pounds lighter, she might have been an actress.
For reasons unknown (an unacknowledged optimism?), she believes that one person
can make a difference in this world. Her entire family is book-mad.
Bonnie’s writing explores the
highs and lows of everyday people and their unique lives with humor, close
attention, and appreciation. Her blog
addresses "ordinary people, extraordinary lives" and also features
samples of shorter works. Visit
http://bonniemccune.com/ to connect with her.
Email: Bonnie@BonnieMcCune.com
Blog : BonnieMcCune.com
9 comments:
I'm going to have to test out my balance now.
FALLING LIKE A ROCK sounds fantastic.
(Love the title given the post subject.)
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Balance-oh yes, I know the concept well especially when it refers to life. I think as we age balance in both aspects becomes more important.
Good article.
Bonnie McCune is a great author and I can't wait to read Falling like a Rock.
jgrace2u@yahoo.com
Yes, balance in our life is important. Thanks for sharing. Can't wait to read your new book. It sounds interesting.
Hey Bonnie,
Great post! Fantastic job weaving life and your new book into it so well. I'm ready to pick Falling Like a Rock up right now.
Sandra
Thanks for the encouragement, with my post as well as my new novel. A challenge to keep plugging away in a vacuum, so your comments are very appreciated.
I've never been athletic or gifted with balance. Out daughters take after their athletic dad. Their balance put them at the top of human cheerleading pyramids. Like you, Bonnie, I try to balance my body...hasn't helped me much either. Balance my daily schedule? Well, that's another sad story. Thanks for the reminder. I'm looking at my stacks of stuff that need to be organized and put away. But I'm doing other stuff. I'm unbalanced today.
Excellent blog, Bonnie. The right balance is challenging in everyday life, but attainable. Best wishes with your book.
Nice blog. It really is important to balance your life.
I believe it keeps you healthier.
So good to hear from all of you. We all are occasionally unbalanced. As long as we don't break our necks in the process, we live and learn. Today I'm frantic helping a friend with an event. I'm even designing original art for name tags. Is that nuts? Writing went out the window.
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