Linda Cousine gives us a
twofer today as she discusses the intertwined failures and frustrations that
make up the story of her life with a worthwhile moral.
Linda writes what she likes to call "Wit Lit," where
she takes genre fiction to a new (and bawdier) level by spoofing her way
through society's obsession with youth, fame, and fortune. Learn more about
Linda and her books at her website.
I grew up in the
land of Almost, on the corner of Not Quite and Better Luck Next Time. In high
school, I was a member of Student Council, but a “Senator,” or some such title,
not quite smart enough for a position that carried much weight. I missed
becoming head cheerleader by one vote—my own, it so happens. As an adult, I now
see that if you don’t believe in your talents, neither will anyone else, which
just may be the moral of this story.
My family and I
lived in a big beautiful home, one that gave the illusion we had money, but the
electricity got shut off from time to time for nonpayment and much-needed
repairs went undone. With money tight, there was little left over for the
frivolous, so fancy dresses for winter formal or prom were borrowed from the
sisters of friends or purchased second hand. As a teen competing in beauty
pageants, I was the Miss who missed, with an impressive string of runner-up
titles. Half a dozen, I believe, the tiny trophies were lined up on my dresser
like a platoon of plastic soldiers, a testament to my failure.
After high school,
I had mediocre success as an L.A. model. Bragging rights seemed to be limited
to the “close, but no cigar” moments, landing the cover of a fashion magazine
that folded just weeks before my issue came out, or getting a part in a
commercial—only to have it air and find my part cut entirely.
Marriage proved
much the same, with high hopes dashed when my prince turned into a frog, and I
ended an eighteen-year marriage to escape the cloud of abuse and infidelity. Raising
three daughters was a breeze, until it wasn’t, and all three began to struggle
with drugs and alcohol, leaving me dazed and broken.
My career as an
interior designer looked promising. In a stroke of good luck, I was contacted to
work on the new home of a current presidential candidate, the gig of all gigs
that would finally put me on the proverbial map. I could brag to anyone who
would listen (and even those who would not) that I did the home of Mr. Big.
Surely, then I would know that in a life of near misses I’d finally hit the
bull’s eye. But three months of hard work went unappreciated—and unpaid—when
they decided to go in another direction.
The call that
never came… The deal that never happened… The fairy tale ending that went up in
smoke…
Life, I realize,
really is about the journey, as Pinterest post sounding as that may be. It’s
about taking each tentative step towards the future, whatever that future may
bring, and finding out at the end of the day that “almost” and “not quite”
means I gave it a shot. I learned something. Met someone. Hit or miss, I gave
it my all, and I had some fun along the way.
Hot to Trot
She thought her life was
finally on track … until she found
herself back at the starting line.
Life couldn’t be better for former supermodel,
Lexi Taylor, when her brainchild, the Très Bu Shoe, a stiletto with two heels
instead of one, becomes an overnight sensation. Her relationship with sexy
ex, Richard, rocks along and now they’re closer than ever. But Lexi might just
be facing a few false starts when her aging father’s Alzheimer’s grows more
serious and he becomes a patient at Forget Me Not, a memory care center, where
more often than not, he thinks she’s her mother and insists on turning up the
heat between them.
Adding
more stress to Lexi’s complicated life, Lexi and Richard become the surrogate
parents to Richard’s ex-fiancé’s little girl, Lucky, a chubby four-year-old,
when she unexpectedly arrives at their doorstep.
Parenthood is the last thing Lexi has time for,
but soon she finds herself bonding with Richard’s pseudo-daughter, even while
trying to repair the broken relationships with her own. The stress of their
lives threatens to put the brakes on Lexi and Richard’s plans to remarry. Even
as Lexi struggles to balance the new challenges in her life, she just might
learn that the second time around the track could be better than the first.
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4 comments:
Your character has a lot to deal with in "Hot to Trot." Thanks for the post, Linda.
I loved this post! Thanks for sharing it.
Excellent post! Love your blogging voice, Linda. :)
Thank you all so much for your kind words! In a life of near-misses, the best part has been the wonderful people who have touched my life along the way. I now include all of you in that list.
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