There Is No Elephant; There Is No Spoon

What the hell...side to the side to the side the swing dance and there you are.

Whoever told Steven Spielberg that he could finally cut loose and enjoy telling a tale about his beginnings?

Whoever told Joyce Carol Oates that she could say his story was banal and a waste of breath to see.

And btw, Hollywood Foreign Press and anyone that requires precision: That's not precisely what she said.

There are little moments in our lives when we know something really special.

It might be something about ourselves. It might be something about someone else. Or it may be another kind of something altogether.

Once a LONG time ago, a prominent literary agent called me...she called about eight pages I had handed shyly to her after completing a writing workshop with her. I didn't know she was a prominent literary agent. I just thought she was a really nice lady and a workshop leader.

Whoa! Wanna know what she said to me and how I squandered one of the greatest gifts that the Universe has ever handed me?

I listened to her. She called about those eight pages some eight or nine weeks after the workshop. When I answered the phone she asked to speak to "Heidi", I said, "This is Heidi" and she said, "I LOVE your voice!" ...Since I do VoiceOver...I was a little confused...I hadn't recently submitted my reel to anyone..."I'm sorry, who did you say this is?" I asked.

Now it was her turn to be confused but she didn't spend a lot of time confused..she was really enthusiastic and went right back to saying how she LOVED MY VOICE.

I've never had a person review my writing and say that. Not before and not since. And it was...THRILLING!

Thrilling I tell you!

She went on to say that I could use some organization to my writing, but that was immaterial. I think that's what she said...and then she practically begged me to send her more. She said, "anything else that you write after this, I want you to send it across my desk first."

Imagine a prominent literary agent saying that to you! I was thrilled.

Then years later, I wrote something and sent it to her.

Look up 'to squander'. I think you might find this moment in there as an example.

I live to correct this...mistake?

There are no wrong paths, though. I've heard it and I believe it to be true.

It's just hard to think about what could have happened if I hadn't squandered that moment.

But, then again, there are no accidents, right?

I'd be happy to hear some wisdom from anyone right about. now.