What Gives?

I have been asking God “what gives” a lot lately. What gives with the economy? What gives with the election? What gives with all the rain?

The closest to an answer that I have been able to divine so far is this: “take care of the small things, and the big things will fall into place.” Actually, it was a middle school principal who said that to me but, under the circumstances, it seemed to fit.

Before I started writing, I used to think that if you had a good plot and a good outline then the rest would follow. A good story, no matter how poorly it is told, is still a good story. I now realize, however, that the devil is in the details: the turn of a phrase; the memory that is triggered, the feelings that are stirred. After all, the idea of an entire world existing just on the other side of the wardrobe door is an intriguing one, but it is the crunch of the snow under the children’s feet, the sweet and all too familiar taste of Turkish Delight, and the horrific sight of Aslan on the stone table--“still quiet, neither angry nor afraid, but a little sad,”—that moves us and changes us.

What does this have to do with the economy and the election? Just this: I may not be able to do anything about the big things—the plot that seems to be unfolding out of control—but I can take care of the small things. I can be more creative in the way I use the resources at my disposal by carpooling more or initiating a soup swap. And I can do my best to stay informed on all the issues and respect the opinion of those who don’t see things as I do.

As for the rain, there’s not much I can do about that except maybe listen to the way it sounds and remember the way it feels so that when it stops I can write about it in such a way that it moves and changes someone else.