Today, More Fun With Words

Today is a Monday, and ordinary day, not Public Holiday, and so I spent my time at Gallery 14, in Hamley Bridge, South Australia, being the Write-In-Residence there. I’m enjoying this gig, very much, and customers are getting used to seeing me there, with my books spread out on my table, pen and paper with me, talking with people, drinking coffee, penning some lines, and so on.

And the owner, and staff are completely happy for me to be there, giving me another (free) coffee when I ask for another one. The coffee is good, the feeling of friendship is strong, and the food I’ve had there is good too! Today I did something a bit different, that seems to have worked well.

When I’m there, I am listening to conversations, not eavesdropping, well yeah actually, eavesdropping, but not with malicious intent. I was listening because I wanted to hand out words to people in the cafe, words I’d written, just wise thought types of things, and printed onto fancy card. I went through my collection and found the most appropriate one for each person, and it went well, people were touched, and said they would happily put the words on the fridge, or put up somewhere to share with others.

I love the way words can have the ability to touch people, when the best words find their best reader, as these words did today. I’m definitely going to do the same thing again next time I go to Gallery 14, and I might make a point of having these cards with me for other things too, and hand words with meaning out to a variety of people.

The cards have my contact details, and website address on the back, and if I can get more peoiple visiting my website because of this, woohoo, that will be great. If I don’t get extra visitors, that is still OK, it’s the connection thing that is most important – and giving people these thoughtful little free things, is a much appreciated thing, I’ve learned today. Simple, thoughtful, kind.

It doesn’t take much to be a nice person, and developing these relationships could have increasing benefits over time, even if I don’t sell too many of my books there. Being present is the main thing, showing people that writing and books have a place in there lives, and deserve to be appreciated.