It was all so perfect…the qualifications, the opportunity, and most importantly, the timing.
We were offered a chance to audition for a commercial. Not just a local spot, but nationwide. Big brand. They were looking for a family of four with children approximately the same ages as my two boys, so I went ahead and attached our photos to the email and clicked the send button.
Every once in awhile I get notifications of auditions, but for the most part I pass on them, choosing to stay close to home. I need routine around here with all the comings and goings, because it helps to keep my writing on track.
But this opportunity was different. It wasn’t just about me anymore. It was for all of us. Too many months pass us by without the opportunity for the family to do something together, and sadly enough, we had fallen into a slump…again. So, this was the ultimate family experience - fame (sort of) and fortune (a nice paycheck would come with it).
Two days later I received the email that our family had been chosen to go to Seattle for the actual audition. I’m certain our whoops of excitement woke up the neighborhood. A thrill of excitement grabbed hold of me before I could think. In hindsight, I am glad for that. Had I thought about it, I would have probably come up with a hundred reasons not to do it. It would interfere with my day job, my writing, the kid’s school, and my husband’s work. Then we had to think of the dogs, the cost of travel, and the wear and tear on the car. But at the time I had total tunnel vision, thinking only of the fun.
My husband, forever the pessimist, pointed out the flaws in my fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants approach to the matter and I, being the hopeless optimist, shot down his arguments. So, we packed up the dogs, booked a hotel, and the next night began the 350-mile drive to Seattle, Washington.
The audition itself took about one minute and then it was over. So then what? Since we had paid for two hours of parking, we decided to do some quick looking around before heading home. The activity, the people, the outdoor marketplace was incredible - such a contrast to the slower pace of our small town at home. Unfortunately, it ended all too soon, leaving us with a yearning to do it all over again.
I hadn’t realized how badly we all needed that break in the routine. After we got home, I was able to jump back into writing with a fresh mind, with new ideas that had been spinning in my head on the drive home. My boys got to play hooky from school for one day and had a great story to tell their friends.
Routine can be comforting until, though, it turns into stagnation, and I fear that is where we were headed.
We still don’t know for sure the outcome of the audition, but whatever it is, I’m grateful for what it gave us. Yeah, I think we’ll have to take another road trip - really, really soon.
About the Author:
Diana began writing in her childhood, writing mostly poems and short stories. She started her first novel about eight years ago, but still chose to put her family before her writing. As the boys got older and more independent, she decided to buckle down and complete her novel. With the completion of Again, it opened the gates for more story ideas. She is currently working on her second novel, a young adult paranormal, with a women’s fiction, a children’s book, and a young adult fantasy lined up and ready to go.
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