Competency

I cannot lie: I LOVE feeling competent. For me, “competent” means I’m able to satisfy expectations. Mine, others, or both. Today at the Literacy Mid-South inaugural Book Festival, I was competent.

I know this because after the talks people keep coming up to me and telling me how helpful they found the information I imparted during my presentations (in the morning, I was the solo member of a panel discussion on agents for aspiring writers (my fellow panelist had to bow out) and in the afternoon I led a “Better Writing Through Writing Groups” workshop.)

Sometimes, you can feel you were competent, and you are wrong. When people tell you they gained from your talk what they hoped to gain, you’ve got confirmation.

I feel incompetent so often. I’m not fishing here—I often miss my own mark or the expectations of others or what I know God is waiting for me to do.

Given that, I really appreciate the smiles, the thanks, the handshakes, the comments, the gratitude. I thank Literacy Mid-South for letting me participate. Life goes by very quickly. Enjoy it while it lasts.

here’s to creative synthesis . . .