Rejection Follow-Up
Like any emotion, the pain of rejection isn’t long-lasting. Once I poured my emotions into my last blog post, the pain started to lessen. It only resurfaced for a moment when I got to work and had to cross out the “New York” scribbling I’d made on my calendar and remove the “New York, here I come” post-it that I had affixed to my computer monitor.
“Oh, well,” I said to myself. “No one can say you didn’t put yourself out there.”
A few days later, I was searching my email for something unrelated it and I came upon an unexpected surprise. The official rejection letter, only it was entitled, Thank You for your Manuscript Submission.
The email was very thorough, detailing the number of submissions the evaluating team received and the time constraints they had to review them. It also encouraged those of us not selected for this particular opportunity to keep nurturing our craft and to not be dismayed. There will be other opportunities with their organization and beyond.
I was comforted by the acknowledgment and further motivated by this team’s commitment to get more voices of underrepresented writers, specifically Black women published by the major publishing houses.
I posted about the receipt of the letter in the group of us who participated in this program. For those of us not selected, I advised them/us to pat ourselves on the back to being working writers. Because what differentiates the “working” writer from the thousands of people who identify themselves as writers is that we are actually writing, publishing and/or submitting our work for consideration.
All writers can’t say that.
I thought it was important to speak to the women not selected this time because they probably feel forgotten about. Most of the communication in the group has been those posting their plans for New York or planning a Zoom all for those attending.
I wanted them to feel encouraged and motivated to keep going.
Sharing is caring, right?
Til Next Time,
L.A.
My response to the question”Do you drink?” The answer to this question will always be yes. I will no longer fumble my words for an answer that says, “I drink, but not that often”, as though I need to explain that. 
Trying to fit into old clothes that I’ve outgrown. I have a grown woman body that I damn proud of. I’m done with the obsessing over the number on the scale or my dress or pants size. I will continue to be fitness focused, limiting my sweet treats, and engaging in exercise that I enjoy as often as possible. Whatever clothing doesn’t fit my current size will be replaced with new clothes. That’s the whole purpose of all the inventory at retail stores! 
Telling Men that I’m not interested in a relationship. It was eight months after my husband passed before the reality of being single really hit me. He was my friend, my lover, my husband for 10 years. I’ve been out of the single game for quite a while. So when started having conversations with men I was trying to be clear that, at this stage of my life, being widowed after 10 yrs, having a teenage son to raise, I wasn’t trying to jump into a relationship. What I didn’t know was those words were communicating to them that I just wanted to have sex with them. 😩 Noooooo. I’m interested in engaging in interesting conversation, taking in a movie, going to breakfast or dinner with a nice guy. IF our chemistry leads to sex, then it does. BUT, that’s not my first intentions. Interestingly, a male friend brought this distinction to my attention. Now I say, “I’m interested in dating that could lead to a long term, serious relationship.”
Naturally L.A. 