7/7/2022
221 E University Dr
Portales, New Mexico 88130

LIFE

Okay fans, I promised a blockbuster announcement this week after my vacation trip to Georgia. For those that read Mayhem, let me tell you about the return trip. I got on the plane in Atlanta. I got off the plane in Dallas. I got on a different plane in Dallas. I got off the plane in Lubbock, walked out of the terminal, and got in my son’s car, and he drove me home to Portales. Niicceeee!
Sorry to say, there will no more excerpts from Hadji 1974. While I was in Atlanta, I answered a call from a publishing company wanting to know if I was ready to publish my book. Now I have been getting these types of calls for the past five years, so I was prepared to listen to the same sales pitch. They spend five minutes or so raving about how good their various departments are in all phases of book publishing. Then he asked if I could send an example of my work? This had never happened before. I usually had to bring up the subject, and they all will say, “No, we don’t need to see your work until you decide on which of our plans work best for you.”, And that’s when I hang up. The agent explained that the company had a team that evaluated every prospective work to see if it met their standards in terms of quality and if a market existed for sales. The company sent me a non-disclosure at once, and a link to email my manuscript directly to the evaluation so they could begin their work. I was shaking with excitement; this was the big break I was waiting for. He asked if I had plans for future books and I discussed my ideas for Las Vegas and another project I have in mind that covers over twenty years. I hung up the phone and told the wifey to get ready to meet Oprah. Suddenly fear struck. I was afraid that my writing was not as good as I thought. I would get the book published and not generate enough sales to pay for the publishing. I panicked and decided to proofread every chapter. That is when I realized that my computer was filled with different versions of the book. Most chapters had gone through at least three rewrites and others as many as five or six. They are all in different formats and fonts, and some chapters are titled instead of numbered. Yeah, a real mess. I spoke with the agent yesterday and told him that I needed more time and she tried to pressure me with the old, “This offer is only good for a limited time”. He assured me that their team could correct any mistakes and even rewrite the whole thing if needed. I promised to get back to him, in fact, tomorrow, but I already know my answer. I’m writing to leave a legacy for my grandchildren and if they are the only ones to read my books and other works, then it will have been well worth the effort. The book will be published before or soon after the new year, and I believe it will be a success. If not, I get to keep on putting out material and making ME happy.
The last two weeks have illustrated the cycle of life to me. I witnessed the joy of seeing my son hold his son, and in watching and spending time with him, his wife, and his two step-kids, I marveled at how well he filled the role of father much better than I did. It made me wish for a do-over until, as he drove me to the airport, he thanked me for being a part of his life and helping him develop into a better version of me. When I talk to my son, we often finish each other’s sentences, and we seem to be on the same page in our thoughts and reactions to the world we live in. Adam just left Portales this morning and we spent most of the time the past two days with me apologizing for not completing some things for his company that could potentially, cost them money in the future. When he is in that role it doesn’t matter that I’m Dad, and I deserved every earful. The neat thing was that in all the time we spent away from work, the only talk was about family. Loved it.
Sadly, this morning my wife received a call from her sister informing her that her brother was in an ambulance, speeding to the emergency room after collapsing suddenly. He passed away before the call ended and we left at once for Roswell to see him. Looking at her little brother lying in a body bag with a tube in his mouth, and his eyes wide open, was more than any of us could manage, as they were close. She had stepped in, on occasions, to help him with his kids when he and his wife would split up. He was the youngest among her siblings and poor choices took away opportunities for him and his family to have a better life. His death reminds us of the fragility of life, so I ask you to reach out to your loved ones and remind them of the love you have for them, while they are here to hear. Love you all, and see you next week
Barron M Broomfield