Right at the moment, what I most want to be is twins.
A very special kind of twins, as it happens. I want to be both of them. The Romance Writers of America’s annual national conference is coming up, and I want to be in two places at once. It would be even more convenient to be triplets, but asking for that could be interpreted as unattractive greed. I would settle for being two.
Of course the basic problem is the old one of choice. How we fight to maintain it! I would be furious if someone tried to restrict my right to free choice. (And they do, trust me.) The contradictory part of the whole business is that once I have taken my stand like the principled citizen I am, I discover the other half of the problem. Having the choice is splendid. Making the choice is something else altogether.
Now, I realize that deciding on which of two events scheduled at the same time is not exactly the kind of issue for which the American Revolution was fought—or any of the others, come to that—but it’s a problem for me.
One alternative would be to spend time with people who share my passion for the Celtic heritage that enriches all of us. I have newly joined the chapter, and there are many people there I would love to spend time with, to connect faces with names, to share a love of a particular kind of culture that has enriched the world as a whole.
I could spend time with other people who love Ireland!
The other alternative is to spend the evening with a group I’ve come to know well. Old friends, in fact. Even more excitingly, a lot of them will be dressed up in wonderful finery to dance the evening away. The Regency period, however you define it, was a brilliant and sparkling era. Technically, it took place between 1811, when the unfortunate King George III was judged unfit to rule, and his son, the Prince of Wales became the Prince Regent, and 1820, when King George III died and the Regent became George IV. More generally, the period between 1795 and 1837, when Queen Victoria came to the throne, is known as the Regency Era. It was a time of great art, great writers (Austen, Shelley, Keats, Coleridge—to name just a sampling), and wonderful elegance in manners, entertaining, and spectacular women’s dresses.
That’s what some of the other attendees on that evening will be wearing. At least one of them will be a woman I’ve wanted to meet for years.
So how am I supposed to choose?
It’s quite simple. I shall become twins. Just watch me!
Haha! I have often thought cloning has merit. If I were to duplicate myself, would I have time to fit everything in? OR would I simply find more to do? :0)
ReplyDeleteNice post, Beppie!
Lane
Thanks, Lane -- going over the possible workshops simply increases my problem. But as you so sensibly point out, if there were two of me, would I be agitating for a third? Or, oh horrors, a fourth? There's only so much of me the world could take!
ReplyDeleteI've been accused of cloning myself. There is so much to do and so little time at Nationals. There always seems to be two workshops I want to attend at the same time. This year I'm adding my publisher's signing and party to the mix. Really, triplets sounds good too. I like the gown with the long stripes, but I would, I'm short. Tweeted.
ReplyDeleteOh, Ella, do I remember -- and you've got enough energy for three people to start out with! But it is all a wonderful opportunity and a lot of fun. I just hope you don't have a million things scheduled for the next week!
ReplyDeleteIf I had a power, it would be bi-location. I would miss less event and learn double!
ReplyDeleteNow I hadn't thought of that. Great idea!
DeleteOh, Beppie, isn't that the truth! Great post! I look forward to seeing you in Atlanta!
ReplyDeleteI won't be attending the conference, though I wish I could. But there's only one of me, and I'm needed here near Boston for family issues this year. Your post is a delightfully refreshing take on a problem I think plagues many women, Beppie. One of these days, however, I'd love to spend time with other people who love Ireland :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Pat - Màiri from Romancing The Eras and Celtic Hearts answering for Beppie, who is in merry old England right now, lucky girl. I wish I could attend the conference, too. I'd love to spend time with the Celtic groups, especially. Crossing my fingers for next year!
DeleteMàiri
Hi, Màiri. Thanks for filling in for Beppie! Yes, fingers crossed :-)
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