We should view our challenges as gifts rather than foes to battle against or obstacles to overcome. In this way, they serve to strengthen and test us to determine if we deserve our dreams. We must be willing to put in the work, navigate the distractions, and deal with the stress that come with pursuing what is most important to us. Taking the time to unwrap each challenge and understand what there is to learn and why it is in our path breathes space into the situation and dissolves the challenges, allowing us to see clearly and move forward.
Connotation Press is featuring an interview with Cooper and his short story “Vacant” in their March 2016 issue. Delving into the inspiration for “Vacant”, which is about infidelity and why men and women choose to cheat in a marriage, Fiction Editor Karen Stefano also explores other aspects of Cooper’s writing habits and views in the interview. The short story appears in its entirety following the interview.
Connotation Press is an online artifact that exists to publish and promote the finest art and artists available, and to provide a place for a wide variety of art to flourish. From the printed to the spoken word, from the auditory to the visual arts, from the tactile to the cerebral, their primary purpose is to provide the best possible showcase venue for the arts and artists that they publish.
Should I or shouldn’t I? Free will both blesses and curses us with this question every day in a myriad of ways. Some are trivial decisions, such as whether or not to hit the snooze again or have another slice of pie. But others, like whether to accept a job offer or a wedding proposal, significantly impact our lives. The greater the decision, the more we deliberate. We weigh the pros and cons, seek advice from trusted counsel, and sometimes just toss aside caution and reason and trust our guts. But uncertainty is probably a sign we are not ready to decide. When we are truly committed, all other paths disappear and we embark.
The dream comes first. Then the fear. We don’t really have anything to be afraid of until we know what we really want. It’s only after the dream materializes, that our doubt, apprehension and uncertainty manifest into our deepest fears and seem to thwart the realization of our vision. What we forget is that as long as we are feeling fear, we are on the right path. Fear is not an adversary to fight against or an obstacle to overcome. It is an indication that we are close to our dreams and encouragement to remain open and keep going.
Today’s world demands immediacy. Everything must happen now. We don’t have time to wait. Unfortunately life operates on its own timetable, causing what we experience to confound and confuse. Worse yet, the more we analyze and investigate, the more it doesn’t make sense. But we rarely have all the information. We are continually trying to put puzzles together with pieces missing. Whether it is our own evolving perspective, a cultural shift, or a new discovery, we need to be patient. Our understanding is not a mystery to be solved but rather a temporary affliction for which time is the antidote.
