The Sound of Silence

By Kim

My little one drawing a tree at the cemetery - photo by Deborah Downes

Another summer is over and my kids are back at their respective schools.

The oldest, now in junior high, has discovered that workloads and responsibilities have increased exponentially. Between homework and the rehearsal schedule for her ballet company, she doubts she’ll have much of a social life apart from her dance friends, none of whom attend her school.

The little one, now in third grade, is having a harder time than expected adjusting to being the only Bullock at her school. The older kids no longer know who she is, she must ride the bus alone, and she no longer has the security of having her sister in the building in case of emergencies. She experienced both a tornado warning and a lock-down at school last year and dreads the thought of it happening again.

At home, I am going through my own transitions. I left my 30s behind a few days ago. I’m toying with a new novel idea, another historical, trying to decide if the story is meant to be adult or YA. (I ran the idea by my twelve-year-old and she votes YA.) While I’m still submitting THE OAK LOVERS to agents and remain confident it will find a home, I’ve spent too long obsessively checking my e-mail and not enough time writing. Blog posts and book reviews aren’t enough anymore.

During the summer I had an excuse to procrastinate. I lived in my car, shuttling my girls to dance and camp—activities that never occurred for both of them simultaneously. I took a family vacation. The noise level in our house was typically conducive to nothing but the creation of headaches if I tried to sit at my computer and work. I didn’t try often.

Summer is over now. Unless I choose otherwise, for seven hours a day I hear nothing but the sound of silence. My muse’s favorite soundtrack. Time to get back to work.

What is your favorite music to work by?