Be THAT Guy

“I’ll win her over.” “…playing hard to get.” “…a tease.” “She’ll come around.”

Cringe worthy, right?  These are all phrases I’d like to see sucked out of the English language. It’s because some guys don’t listen to girls. Some men don’t listen to women. And yes, to be fair, some women don’t listen to men. These phrases are all things I’ve heard from guys who don’t want to take “no” or “not interested” from someone else. And that stinks.

So, today’s post is especially for the fellas out there. I’m guessing if you’re reading this you are not one of the guys who says things like that, but just the same…I’d like you to be THAT guy. Not the jerk, obviously.

I’d like you to be that guy who calls out other guys who aren’t taking no for an answer. Not just the ones who have an unconscious victim they are assaulting (though by all means, stop that guy too). But be the guy who calls out a buddy or acquaintance when he’s throwing out lines at someone who is clearly not interested.

We are long past the days of believing that women are helpless damsels in distress waiting in castle turrets to be saved.

But some guys don’t, won’t, or choose not to listen to a girl turning them down, and when that happens? It’s awfully nice when a guy tells him to back off and points out what should be obvious.

We women will continue to speak up for ourselves, but be that guy who bypasses “boys will be boys” and sets the tone that real men listen and respect.

Because every voice deserves to be heard, and the guy who chooses not to listen to a girl might be willing to listen to you.

The Waiting Season

“To everything, there is a season…” Ecclesiastes 3:1

I am in a season of waiting, and as seasons go, it is not my favorite. Writers do lots of waiting, so you’d think I’d be used to it by now. Waiting to hear back from critique partners. Waiting to hear back from agents. Waiting to hear back from editors. Waiting for reviews, for launch, to be paid…

A wise writer will work while she waits, but waiting is still anguish.

This morning, I decided to have a bite to eat and then read my Bible. So, I picked yogurt with M&M’s, thinking it would be healthy enough. Two bites in, I realized the yogurt had spoiled. So, I tossed it. A little while later, I grabbed an oatmeal cream pie as a replacement. The first bite had a hair baked in it. *shudders* I threw it away too. At this point, I gave up on breakfast and read a few chapters.

I’d like to tell you that the chapters hit the spot and soothed my waiting heart. Sometimes that happens. But what I read didn’t give me much peace this morning.

Then, perfection. My husband walked in with a Bojangles bag. Totally unexpected! The bag contained not just one biscuit for me, but two—in case one wasn’t enough!

Isn’t that just like God? He knows our love languages (one of mine is obviously Bojangles), and He meets us right where we are to remind us that He’s taking care of us. And so today, because of those biscuits, I feel more peace in the waiting—more peace in knowing that God has a great agent out there for me. I can rest in His goodness and timing.

What are you waiting for today? 

Happy National Poetry Month!

April is National Poetry Month, so I celebrated by writing a poem. If you decide to write one too, share a link in the comment section, so we can take a peek. Also, I'd love to hear who some of your favorite poets are, so give them a shout-out!

Story Farm by Laura Renegar

The writer’s brain is like a farm

With many seeds to sow.

Ideas sink in and some take root

In zig-zags more than rows.

The farmer weeds the adverbs out.

She fertilizes scenes.

Organically, she kills the tropes—

Those buggers can be mean.

She takes her time with characters.

Her voice makes each one blossom.

She irrigates and prunes each page,

Until the plot is awesome.

She’s story farming all the time.

As seasons paint the sky,

Until she picks her finest fruit

For publishers to buy.

*special thanks to my oldest daughter for illustrating my poem!