19 Sep Punctuation Saves Live: Mine

A friend of mine called me last week and began the conversation with: “Just wanted to say how much I loved you book.” He gushed about Anyone But Me.

            I was thrilled.

            Then he asked, “Would you be interested in all the typos I found?”

            I was crushed.

            I sent the mistakes to my editor, and researching the problem, she confessed that the wrong file of the manuscript had been sent to the printer.

            When I heard that, I became frustrated, mad, and ready to fire her. I thought my reputation as a writer was damaged and my image tarnished.

            Then grace stepped into my life. Again. It came from some of my closet friends.

            One colleague said that our society today is so quick to condemn and cancel, and maybe I could show her a little compassion.

            Another one told me something his grandmother used to tell him. If you realized how seldom people thought about you, you’d be less concerned about what they were thinking. I got it. I haven’t sold thousands of that book. A few hundred maybe. It’s not like the world is thinking about Bruce Kirkpatrick and how poorly he produces his books.

            So, the first edition of Anyone But Me released with typos—and I realize it’s not the end of the world. Another friend said that most people won’t notice, and it’s still a great story. (That’s true—I’ve checked with several people, and they agree on both counts).

The Moral:

I’m still learning to show more grace. To be less quick to condemn. To exhibit compassion and understanding. To me, that’s much more important than having a perfect book. So many people show me grace that I need to extend that curtesy to others. There are way too many broken relationships in the world for me to add another. Sometimes forgiveness is hard, but it’s always possible.

That said, if you’d like a new, revised copy of Anyone But Me, personally signed by me, to replace your typo-tarnished version, reply to this email and I’ll mail you one. I just can’t guarantee it won’t have a typo. After all, nobody’s perfect.

New Music I Love

            By now you’ve probably heard that Jimmy Buffett (RIP) has a new album, Equal Strain on All Parts, releasing Nov. 3. I’ve listened to a song pre-released, and if you’re a Parrothead, you won’t be disappointed.

            The Stones also have new music, Hackney Diamonds, landing Oct. 20. The song Angry makes me believe the band may never fade away.

            When my daughter married this past March, she requested that father and daughter slow dance to Tim McGraw’s My Little Girl. That got me back into Tim. His new album, Standing Room Only, made me a fan all over again.