Heros and Role Models

I often struggle with finding my purpose because there are just so many things I like or want to do.  I'm doing my very best to become better at paring that down in order to best use the time I've got here on this planet.  That said, I met a lady this week that is totally living one of my dreams!

She is a former professional writer and a full time mom and wife to a military doctor.  When he's not off doing super brave things for the nation in other countries, he's taking care of kids and their folks in Monroeville, AL.  She decided to combine her small town doctor wife status with her creative writing degrees from such Southern traditions as LSU and Ole Miss and opened up the Bee Hive Coffee Shop and Book Store right off the town square.  She focuses on independent and regional authors (with other personal faves thrown it).  Just in case you weren't aware, this is absolutley perfect because Monroeville is the home to literary legends Truman Capote and Harper Lee.  She often hosts writers in her shop and is part of the Alabama Writers Festival and such.  She also makes a mean salted caramel latte. 

There are also these nifty post cards to pick up and mail back, including a part of your own story.  The post card comes with the following hint:  "We're pretty serious about writing in the South, so take your time and get it right.  Be specific.  Be colorful.  Be southern.  And if you're ever stuck, make sure you mention your mama or an old hound dog, or your mama's old hound dog."

I stood in her bookstore, totally wanting to live inside it, and thinking "why oh why am I not a published Southern author?!  Or the owner of a darling book shop or bakery?!"  Then I realized, um, maybe because I haven't written a book and haven't even tried to and the reason I was in town was to do the rural doctor stuff I get paid for.

The point of my rambling is:  you need to go to the Bee Hive.  She doesn't have her website stuff all figured out quite yet, but here is a link to a story about Jo Bonner having a community meeting there and getting his picture taken with the rural hospital administrator - which kind of ties all of these elements together :)
http://www.mchcare.com/mc.nsf/View/CongressmanJoBonnervisitsMonroeville