Thanks for stopping by! This is the official blog for the Rona Shively Stories Mystery Series. Check in for details on upcoming Rona Shively Stories and other events! Watch Rona's transformation as she tackles life head on, now armed with newly found faith and the knowledge that she is not actually in control of anything. Finally, it is all starting to make sense.

Upcoming Events

***All Rona Shively books are now available on Kindle! See below for details!***Buy your copy of any Rona Shively Story and help someone today. All proceeds go to Higher Ground Ministries to empower women! Get your copy today at Amazon.com!***Help women reach Higher Ground! http://www.highergroundministries.wordpress.com.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Waiting for a towel to dry...

It's amazing how many things go through your mind when you are waiting for your laundry to be done. I'm sitting here at the computer while the dryer is finally finishing a load of towels. Over the course of the last fifteen minutes or so, I've thought of at least fifteen different things I need to get done today. Aside from doing laundry, I need to take some library books back, clean up my house, go to the grocery store, get clothes ready for tomorrow morning, pay some bills, balance my checkbook, write the rest of a short story I'm working on, work on my website, pay attention to my daughter, exercise, visit my mother, and God knows what else... One of the things on my list was to write something here, so I guess I can cross that one off the list. The point is, no matter what I get done in a day, the heads keep growing back. Granted, I create some things for myself to do so that I can continue to feel like my life has a purpose. But there are other forces at work that create the rest.

How much of what we do is generated solely from our need to stay busy? How much of that need to stay busy or productive comes from simply being a female? I think women fall into this cycle much of the time because we are expected to keep things going. To make things "comfortable" for the people in our lives. Even if we have a really great husband or boyfriend who actually cooks or cleans, there is a degree of guilt attached whenever we don't do the little things. I am by no means domestically inclined, yet I still feel the nagging sense that I need to prove my worth in this area. Look how good I am at keeping house, folding clothes, washing dishes, etc. Even though I hate housework and feel that it isn't extremely important in the grand scheme of things, I still feel inadequate when I don't do enough of it. This is some bullshit that is hardwired from years of listening to a grandmother who felt that "a woman's place was in the home."

I guess it was this kind of coaching that ultimately led me to become a feminist. I wasn't sure that I was one before, but over the last several years, it has become clear that I believe in the power of women to achieve nearly anything. I believe that women should work together to make this world a better place and that we should use our strengths to help make other women stronger. So, as I sit here, waiting for my laundry to dry, I think about all of the things that I can do to make a positive impact on the world today. What can I do while waiting for my towels to dry? It's hard to say for sure, but I hope that blogs such as this one are a step in the right direction. I found this quote over at www.feminist.com and thought it would work nicely here:

"In my heart, I think a woman has two choices: either she's a feminist or a masochist."
—Gloria Steinem

Now we just have to ask ourselves, which one will I be today?

Until next time...

1 comment:

Rachelle Bronson (Gagne) said...

Good post. I actually don't want to be either. I prefer being myself. I was brought up to believe in myself, to not let society impose a certain stigma upon me. To let my mind, my passions and my interests guide me through and along my chosen path. There's nothing that can change what completes me...(did anyone else see Tom Cruise just now?).
Yes, it's hard being a woman sometimes and having all these plates to balance, but making sure that you never lose yourself is key. Making certain that you have that time to allow your inner voice to speak to you, so you don't get lost in the mundicity of life.
I think with all the resposibilities we have day in and out we tend to lose ourselves, allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by things that don't matter. So you don't do the laundry today...big deal. Is the world going to collapse around you cause you ran out of clean towels? I don't think so. I think we need to step aside and refocus our priorities, so that we can be who we were meant to be, not what is expected of us:-)
~Drake

A Little Bit of Mystery: Short Mysteries to Confuse and Amuse

Where I've Been...

Listen to my interview on the Jeffery S. Miller show.

Listen to my interview on Calling All Authors.

Listen to my interview on the Let's Just Talk w/Kathryn Raaker.

Listen to my interview on Radio Free Baxter.

Where I'll Be...

After a short break in the summer, I'll be at the following locations:

8/11/09 Allen Park Public Library, Allen Park, MI 6:30 p.m.

Looking for something entertaining for your library or bookstore patrons? Looking for a fun way to spend a couple of hours? Do you love mysteries? Then you need to schedule a Tea & Mystery event for your library or bookstore! The fee is minimal and the presentation is fun and informative! Attendees will be given the chance to win great prizes and share their thoughts about the mystery genre and their favorite mystery writers!

E-mail me today at lonestoryteller@yahoo.com for details on how to set up your Tea & Mystery event!

Books by Rebecca Benston

Reviews for Rebecca Benston

“You'll find yourself looking forward to more stories from the files of Rona Shively.”

Michelle Shealy, Reviewer for MyShelf.com

***

“Rebecca Benston has written a detective with plenty of suspense…I hope there will be a sequel…”

Annick, Reviewer for Euro-Reviews

***

“The story is good, the plotting great. Rebecca Benston draws you into the story from the first page. Read the book.”

Lucille P. Robinson, An Alternative Read

***

“Rebecca Benston’s twists, turns, and descriptions are utterly engaging.”

Tracy, Fallen Angel Reviews

***

“In The Wash is like a 1930’s film noir detective story that had a modern, edgy twist and a female lead.”

Janet Davies, Once Upon a Romance Reviews

***

“Under Lock and Key is an enjoyable, fun book! Rona Shively is a delightful character. I loved her off-beat, quirky personality and her outstanding sense of humor.”

Connie Harris, MyShelf.com

***

“Talented author Rebecca Benston shows the reader just how complicated life can get suddenly and how people you thought you knew, aren't who you thought they were.”

Anne K. Edwards, Mysteryfiction.net