My Fantasy Writing Team

Many people have fantasy football leagues, baseball teams or basketball teams. You've seen these folks. They mull over their stats, get really excited watching the games, and dream of winning "the big pot" at the end of the season.

Well. . . I have a fantasy writing team. . . and I'll experience "the big pot" victory the day I am able to quit my day job, work at home or from a beach, and give book signings and lectures . . . just because I've been recognized for being as splendid as my fantasy writing team members!

Here's my writing lineup: Anne Lamott and Elizabeth Gilbert. No, not Melissa Gilbert of "Little House on the Prairie," Elizabeth Gilbert of "Eat, Pray, Love."

I have plenty of reasons for picking this team and I'll list a few here:

• They each have a great sense of humor combined with a nice balance of spiritual depth.
  
• They can each make you laugh, cry, and fall in love with humanity . . . within one paragraph . . . with a bit of subtle shock appeal thrown in.
  
• Elizabeth Gilbert got paid (in advance)to take an international sojourn in order to deal with her divorce. She learned Italian (in Italy), meditated at an Ashram in India, and hung out with her personal guru/healer (she found a second one no less!) in Indonesia. I haven't done anything quite that radical to deal with my divorce. This is definitely where we differ a bit. I went from one suburb of Chicago to another (10 miles away), purchased a condo, and am running an 8K for my next birthday. Ok, so I have read lots of spiritual books (note the two authors on my team!), and have had some other zany experiences (more on that later) but nothing quite so . . . international.
  
• Anne Lamott has written 11 books and is the former religion editor of Salon.com. Can you imagine a job more fun? Here's her quote on writing. "I try to write the books I would love to come upon, that are honest, concerned with real lives, human hearts, spiritual transformation, families, secrets, wonder, craziness — and that can make me laugh. When I am reading a book like this, I feel rich and profoundly relieved to be in the presence of someone who will share the truth with me, and throw the lights on a little, and I try to write these kinds of books. Books, for me, are medicine." (from a quote listed on Wikipedia) How about that!?

Here's the last cool bit. My fantasy writing team is a winning pick. These writers are going to appear together a number of times this winter. Apparently they are the current divas reporting the intersectionality of everyday life and spiritual insight. It's my hope that we all have these profound experiences and insights, whether we can write about them as well as my fantasy writing team or not. I'll definitely post a few thoughts the day I quit my day job . . . or decide to keep it. . . part time . . . for fun.